


National Treasure

by Dr_Toolbelt



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Adorable Zuko, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Appa (avatar) - Freeform, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Crazy Azula (Avatar), Cuddling & Snuggling, Dad Hakoda, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gaang adopts Zuko, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, M/M, Mid-season 2 after Toph joined, Mom Friend Katara (Avatar), No Smut, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Ozai (avatar) can catch these fists, Past Child Abuse, Protective Azula (Avatar), Protective Katara (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Slow Burn, Sokka (Avatar) Has ADHD, Sokka/Zuko cuddling, The Talk, Toph (Avatar) is a badass, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Unbanished Zuko, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar) is Bad at Feelings, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Brother, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko just wanted to read, eventual Dadkoda, hostage Zuko (Avatar), katara (avatar) is a good sister, not specific ED content but could be triggering, refusing to eat, why is that not yet a tag?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 23,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26635729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_Toolbelt/pseuds/Dr_Toolbelt
Summary: Zuko was never banished from the fire nation, he tried to fight the agni kai, he got burned, but he was never banished. only for the fact that he was considered a national treasure for his kindness and compassion to the people. When the gaang finds this out, they hatch a plot hoping to end the war.Spoiler, nothing ever goes as planned
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 131
Kudos: 977





	1. Toph, you worry me sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> we need more long form cuddle AU's

They were trying to blend in as much as possible, but with Aang calling everyone hot man and Sokka trying to haggle at the markets, it was kinda hard.

Just as the old merchant was at his last rope with Sokka trying to lower the already fair price the merchant's wife stops him.

“Rah, calm now, do as the prince.” she said kindly before turning to the group of colonial children.

“I hear you from the colonies, we do things differently here, it’s considered quite rude to barter in these areas, though I will lower it for you this time. Just know most vendors won't be as kind.” she warns ringing up the produce.

“What was that about do and the prince?” Katara asked her.

The old woman gave her a look of shock and confusion before smiling again.

“Oh! Of course! I suppose the colonies are a little out of the loop on the whole matter. The young prince spoke up in defense of our troops in the war and stood his ground to the consequences. He's rarely out of the palace, but all stories tell of his kindness and empathy. He gives many hope for the future when he will take the throne. He is truly a jewel to our nation.” she smiled at the idea.

“But what if something were to happen to him? If he were to die in battle-” Sokka was cut off abruptly

“Don't you dare say such a thing about our prince!” The old woman's kind face went to one of fury and anger before she composed herself again.

“The very thought of our prince being sent off to war would cause riots! After what happened to prince Lu Ten…” she trailed off with a sad expression and the kids hurried their way out.

“Well that was… interesting.” Toph said when they were back at camp.

“What do you mean?” Aang asked.

“The way her heart picked up when Sokka asked that, she really seemed angry.” Toph clarified.

“Weeeell enveryones already backwards so it doesn’t surprise me.” Sokka shrugged. As everyone went about their business. Katara went to start dinner by the campfire, and Aang went down by the water to practice his bending. Sokka was thinking about some fishing until Toph cornered him with a few well placed rocks.

“It makes you think, if she got that angry of you asking about that. What do you think would happen if he just… Vanished.:” Toph asked with a devious smile on her face 

“Your plotting something bad… is it good bad or bad bad?” Sokka asked, stroking his non-existent mustache.

“It's something that I need you and Aang on board with and the sugar queen can deal with it.” Toph smiled bigger before grabbing on to Sokka's hair and pulling him to her level with a yelp from him as she whispered hier plan.

“You're right, Katara doesn't like it. Also Aangs a pacifist I don’t think he’d be down for kidnapping the prince and holding him hostage will be declared over.” Sokka pointed out.

“Look, snoozles , what I’ve learned from teaching Aang is that it’s all about the wording. If you phrase it right you could get him to dive in a volcano. Now are you with me or against me?” Toph asked, making the rocks cornering Sokka move a little bit closer.

“Eep! Okay! I’m not saying it's a bad plan, I'm also not saying you're wrong on that. But even if we managed to get a hold of him, there’s gonna be a man hunted out for him all over the fire nation.” Sokka pointed out.

“That's why we leave for the earth kingdom immediately after!” she declared like it was the best thing ever.

“Fine, but he’ll need to be asleep while on Appa.” Sokka said, stroking his chain again.

Was he actually entertaining the idea of taking this guy hostage in order to fix something that didn’t truly involve him? Yeah, he was. But there was no way they were actually going to go through with this, Aang would never agree to it.

“Hey guys what are you talking about!” Aang yelled from on top of the rocks, scaring Sokka out of his thoughts with another yelp as Aang jumped between the two.

“Aang! What would you be willing to do in order to end this war?” Toph started with her five star salesman pitch.

“As the Avatar it is my duty to bring peace and balance between the four nations. I have to do whatever it takes to make that happen.” he said seriously.

Spirits, aang was only a kid but he was dedicated to his job, that's more than most adults could say.

“Well, what if i told you that I have a way we could get the firelord to agree to end the war?” Toph asked.

“Really! How?” Aang asked excitedly at the idea he wouldn’t have to fight anyone.

“If we were to sneak in to see the Prince and get him out with us, then we could leave a note saying their nation wont get their national treasure back till the war is over.” Toph said in a mocking way.

“I mean, if he agrees to it.” Aang said scratching the back of his head suddenly seeing what she was implying.

“Of course! If he protests we go on our way to the earth kingdom. Promise!” Toph grinned and Aang agreed.

“Awesome! We’ll tell Katara over dinner!” Aang beamed before jumping over the wall of rocks to go see when soup would be ready.

“I don't think the prince would agree to go with us. Why did you lie to him?” Sokka snapped.

“I said that if the prince protested we’d be on the way to the earth kingdom, I didn’t say we would be returning him.” Sokka felt his jaw drop at his scamming friend.

“You know Toph you worry me sometimes.” he said, slumping over as Toph laughed maniacally 

____________

“No! Absolutely not!” Katara shouted at the idea.

“Common Katara, it's worth a try! We’ve all got to do our part to end this war! Even him!” 

“He’s a fire nation prince! I’m pretty sure i know how he wants this war to end!” Katara insisted. 

“But we’ve got to try, if not who knows how this is going to turn out?” Aang said with his pleading puppy dog eyes. Katara let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Fine! We can talk to the prince, but if he doesn’t agree, that's the end of it! And I want no part of this!” 

“Flameo!” Aang cheered, jumping up in excitement.

Toph and Sokka exchanged looks, meaning Sokka looked at Toph who smirked to herself and to her plan. 


	2. you didn't...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara didn't even think they'd get past the gate let alone this!

It was late in the evening the following night when the plan was to be put into effect.

Peering through the window of the palace you could see the prince laid out on his bed with his shaggy black hair trying to cover his vision of the scroll he had been reading.

“Your highness it’s late, would you like to get ready for bed?” asked the guard at his door.

“After this chapter.” Zuko said back, even though he’s said that for the past six chapters. 

The guards relished in their shifts guarding the Prince, he was so relaxed and calm, with him you could ask something like that and not fear having fire hurled in your direction. 

As opposed to the Princess, if she had decided you were breathing wrong she could make you stop breathing all together. Some days the Prince would have a full conversation with you and remember it later on, he would go out of his way to remember birthdays and anniversaries and make an excuse to the head of guard as to why that particular person should be sent home for the day without that person ever getting in trouble for it. 

The guards would never want to upset the prince or to let anything happen to him, even if the firelord wouldn’t execute them for allowing the prince to get hurt, the citizens of the fire nation certainly would

So there the Prince sat there in his bed reading his scrolls blissfully unaware of the two shadows sneaking into the castle and brewing a pot of sleeping tea before sending it to the princess room and waiting outside of the window.

“Prince Zuko, your tea?” asked the servant as she set it beside him with a bow.

“My uncle trying to poison me with all this tea?” he asked but dismissed the servant and began sipping on the beverage as he read.

When he finished and set down his cup his eyes grew heavier and heavier, till he fell asleep with the scroll resting on his chest.

One of the guards took care to roll up the scrolls around the prince and set them carefully beside him on the night stand before turning out all the lights. They left quietly to allow him to sleep in peace.

The two shadows in the dark waited till the guards had left to watch outside the room before sneaking in the window.

Once in the room both figures pulled down their masks and took in the sight.

“Wow… so that's the Prince.” Sokka whispered to Toph looking at the boy sleeping blissfully on the bed.

still in his day clothes. His black hair fell in a perfect mess over his face largely concealing his left eye. The dark contrast of his raven hair against his ivory skin was oddly captivating to Sokka.

“Yeah, think you can lift him?” Toph whispered back.

Looking him over Sokka had no doubt he could. Zuko was about the same height he was and seemed pretty skinny as is. 

This was not what Sokka had expected him to look like at all. He expected Ozai’s clone, or someone who looked like a mountain sitting there. 

This guy looked barely older then Sokka was and like he could be blown over if the breeze was too hard.

They wasted no time on this as Aang was waiting on Appa along with Katara to leave as soon as they returned. 

They didn’t really have time to stop and question their morals on this one, though if Sokka did he had a feeling that he would convince himself it's for the greater good and continue forward.

So, he carefully picked up Prince Zuko and Toph stabbed the note Sokka had pre-written to the bedpost. (backwards i might add) they were out with no one the wiser till the guards did rotation. 

Sokka and Toph hurried up and onto Appa and brushed away all pleasantries.

“Hurry! I think they saw us!” Toph demanded. 

Like that Aang shouted yip yip and they were flying away Katara knew instantly and gave the two a horrified look.

“You didn’t…” she accused.

“He didn’t protest.” Toph shrugged.

  
  
  


_____ 

Back at the palace.

“Rotation already?” asked the guard outside the door.

“Yup, get outta here, go see the kids.” said the guard knowing it was the end of Ming's shift.

She simply cracked the door to check on the prince before she knew it was not.

“Prince Zuko?” she called opening the door wider.

“Oh Agni help us…” she said to the other guard as all four of them poured in.

“There's a note.” one said pulling it off the bed post with the sharpened rock stealing it there.

“The fire lord won't like this.”

“Forget the firelord, think about the citizens… think of what all this will be because!” Jing moaned in fear.

“Think of the Prince! I can’t imagine what horrors he’s being subject to at this very moment.” 

Their heads bowed in grief for their beloved prince before rushing to notify the fire lord.

When they distributed the note on the desk in front of him they bowed on their knees waiting in fear of the verdict.

He was quiet for a moment too long before looking over them.

“Have you told anyone else?”

“No your majesty.” they said in unison.

“No one is to know about this. Not even you.” he said with a wicked smile before forming a ball of fire in his hands, looking down at the soldiers with morbid excitement.

  
  
  
  
  



	3. WELCOME TO CAMP AVATAR!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god its such a tease to right slow burns! i wanna get to the fluff but the fluff wil lbe so rewarding once it's here! also we stan the long form Angst/fluff none of this one shot nonesense

It wasn’t until they were well away from the fire nation capital and coming into earth kingdom territory did Aang finally turn around for the usual introductions.

Only instead of the usual Sokka jabbering on and Katara being a mother towards the newcomer he saw Toph looking bored, Sokka avoiding his sisters glare and Katara boring her eyes into him specifically as Toph couldn’t tell the difference. And. the Prince, he was out cold on the other side of the saddle.

“What's going on?” he asked, trusting Apps to fly himself.

“Did you know about this?!” Katara yelled.

“I mean we all talked about it at dinner.”

“No no no! We talked about talking to the prince, not drugging and kidnapping!” she shouted louder. 

There was a low groan and movement from the prince's body and they all quieted down. The last thing they wanted was for the firebender to wake up on Appa of all things.

Aang felt his stomach drop at the realization.

“Guys you didn’t.” he said looking at Sokka and Toph pleadingly.

“We did, left a note, we’ll see what comes of it.” Toph shrugged.

“You don’t think we will be hunted for sport because of this?” Katara asked.

“Aangs the avatar! They need him alive! So in the worst case scenario we break out of a fire nation prison!” Sokka said, trying to ease the tension.

“They need AANG alive. Not us! Do you realize how many bounties could be on our heads at this very moment! You stupid! You never think things through SOKKA!” Katara whisper shouted.

“Why not bring this up before?” Sokka asked in realization of his sister's point.

“I didn’t think you would have even gotten to talk to him and if he were to tag along I at least had the thought that he could vogue for us! We need to take him back Aang.” Katara zaid, turning to Aang now.

“Your right Katara.” he sighed.

“See.” she smiled at Sokka and Toph.

“There's no telling how many people want us dead right now, going to the fire nation would be a bad idea.” 

That was the end of the conversation. No one had anything else to say about it, no one was happy over it, but this was a decision they couldn’t undo and the tea is going to be wearing off the Prince soon.

“Let's make camp here.” Aang said as they landed 

Sokka lifted the Prince of the saddle and down by the tree and Toph earth bent his hands into the ground.

“Toph!” Katara snapped atit.

“What do you expect him to do to not wake up angry?” she asked, looking in Katara's general direction.

They set up camp, still tense and no one was talking to one another. 

Shortly after they finished unloading Appa there was a small groan that came from the Prince causing everyone to freeze and turn to look at him. 

He was waking up.

Sokka slowly approached as Zuko blinked at the light. He had fallen asleep in his bed in the fire nation and here he was bound in god knows where with some guy in a blue tank top trying to talk to him.

“Hey, you're probably confused, I'm- WOAH!” Sokka jumped back as the Prince kicked his leg up sending a wave of fire shooting in Sokka direction, narrowly missing him.

“Where am I!” the prince demanded in a raspy threatening voice.

‘I thought this guy was supposed to be calm’ Sokka thought to himself.

“Your- uh-” Sokka stuttered for a moment knowing that saying earth kingdom would place a target on earth kingdom, saying fire nation would give him motive to escape. 

“You're at Camp Avatar!” Sokka said, putting on a big goofy grin as the prince glared at him.

“You have won an all expense paid trip to the end of this war as well as a world wide bison adventure! So kick back, relax and don’t try to kill us.” Sokka smiled and Zuko gave him a poorly concealed look of fear and confusion at the lunatics who had trapped his hands in the earth and kept a wide distance from him so as to not get burned.

The Prince took a deep breath in and a deep gust of fire came out.

“Look, take me home and we can forget about this.” he said through clenched teeth. 

“No can do sparky, you could be the very ticket to ending this war.” Toph jumped in getting closer then Sokka had before without the prince attempting to burn her.

“And what gave you that idea?” he asked.

“The fire nation would do anything to get their ‘national treasure back’ the condition of ransom is that the war ends and you go home.”

“And if not?” Zuko asked.

The gaang looked at one another unsure of what to say, Toph didn’t miss a beat though

“Then their national treasure gets lost at sea.” for a human lie detector she was damn good at lying. 

“So what you're just gonna sit here while you wait for someone to write back?”

“Well no, we travel around a lot. Right now though it's dinner time and I’m starved!” Aang said with his usual happy attitude and looked around, his eyes meeting Kataras.

“Cook it yourself.” she said coldly before stopping away to find a stream.

They were back to their tense mood after that but got a fire started and rice made by the time Katara came back and saw the prince still glaring at all of them as they ate.

“So you're just not going to feed him!” she snapped 

“He said he’d light anyone who came near him on fire.” Aang grumbled and shrugged under both Kataras and the prince's glare.

“No you wouldn’t.” Katara said to him.

“Wanna test it?” he asked back. 


	4. Shocker! Zuko is not having fun.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a lot of angst

The Prince didn’t eat that night. After everyone had gone to bed he was left in the same spot with his hands sunk into the rock. As he brooded he couldn’t help but wonder why all of them were asleep rather than having someone guard him.

It would be so easy to sneak away if he got his hands free, if he weren't so tired he could build the flames of their campfire high enough to catch one of their tents. Instead they all sat in their tents wrapped in blankets with comfort as he sat in the chilling night air losing any feeling he had in his hands and pain surging through his shoulders with the awkward positioning.

It wasn’t until Katara was leaving to practice her bending did she see he was still awake.

She stood there for a moment staring at him contemplating before taking a deep breath and grabbed her bag of water before going over close enough to the prince they could clearly see one another but far enough any fire wouldn’t reach her.

“Are you gonna light me on fire?” she asked him, hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised.

He didn’t appreciate the sas and truth be told he had many things he’d like to do to the watertribe peasant at the moment, but he was exhausted, too exhausted to fight back on it right now.

“No.” he said in a low sad tone.

Katara sympathised with him, even if he was a fire nation. She knew what it was like to miss home the way he must be missing home right now.

Though if you were to ask the Prince this, you would learn it wasn't home he was missing. It was his fear of what was to come of this if they did not get what they were asking for. but when Katara sat down across from him as they met one another's eyes they had the same look of understanding for one another on this. She clearly saw the burn mark going over half his face now. She wanted to ask about it but had a feeling it would be met with fire being kicked her way.

"What do you want?" He asked her finally not sounding angry, not sounding sad just… tired he sounded defeated.

After spending the whole day knocked out only to wake up in these circumstances and likely eat nothing. 

Katara would be defeated too

Not only that but for fire benders food is fuel if he doesn't eat soon those blasts of fire from his feet won't be much of anything anymore.

"I just wanted to say that I don't agree with this." She told him sincerely.

He gave her a skeptical look at this statement before deciding to respond.

"Then why go along with it?" Zuko asked.

Katara hesitated for a moment as she framed what she would say next, honestly she didn’t fully know why she would go along with it, and she wasn't. Yet she saw his point, but she couldn’t just walk away from her brother and her friends like that. They were all family, and she had been taught that you don’t walk away from family.

"Well. We Are in this together sokka is my brother. And I see what they're trying to do here. I do think it's a bad way to go about it though." She said 

"So you're just gonna let it happen. No matter how you view it, you're just as guilty in this scenario." The prince scoffed at her 

"No! Well. We're not gonna hurt you if that's what you're worried about. Your hands are bound because frankly none of us wanna get burned that badly, also we can't have you running away." She said.

"And go where? I may not know exactly where I am but I know it's not a fire nation and it's definitely not a water tribe." He said looking at the footage around them.

"Well maybe in the morning toph can get you out of those. But right now i can’t do anything about it. I suggest you get some sleep while you can, you're gonna need your strength, your majesty." Katara said mockingly, though smiling as the prince winced at that title.

"Just call me Zuko." He told her. She smiled more at that, she liked Zuko better.

"Nice to meet you zuko. I'm katara." Zuko didn't respond to that and instead tried to get comfortable in his current position.

He watched Katara as she disappeared down to the stream to practice water bending. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get comfortable with his wrists wedged between two rocks.

He was still awake when Katara came back and crawled into her Tent without acknowledging Zuko in any way. After another hour or so of trying to find some way to get comfortable and to ease the tension in his shoulders he gave up.

Instead of going to sleep he focused his energy onto the campfire in front of him a few yards away and tried to meditate using it. It took longer then he would have liked it too but eventually managed to get his breathing in line with the rise and fall of the flames.

That is where he stayed the rest of the night, concentrating the pain in his neck and back and the numbness of his wrists onto the fire and letting that feed it.

  
  
  



	5. Sokka, non-Bending extrodinare

Sokka was the last to wake up. However he wasn't the first to notice that the prince was looking a little worse for wear. 

He was just staring at the campfire, hardly blinking. It did occur to sokka though that the flames were rising and falling with the prince's breathing.

"He didn't sleep at all last night." Katara told them.

“He also refused to let us feed him breakfast, saying it was demeaning.” Aang grumbled.

"Toph gave the guy back his hands." sokka sighed.

"Are you crazy!" 

"Look I don't really know what you do with that dirt magic but you gotta know that he's struggling."

"Yeah he hasn't slept, eaten or drank anything in twenty four hours." She snapped back.

"Oh…" I supposed the first rule of holding someone hostage was you kinda needed them alive.

"Which leads me to my point again to give the guy back his hands. If he does try and run you can just bend some rock walls around him or something, we can’t keep a dead hostage." Sokka asked again. 

With a loud groan from Toph she did as requested and jumped the prince out of whatever trance he was in as he looked down and rubbed at his wrists. Sokka came up with a bowl of food and glass of water for him.

"Here. the cooking isn't the best but it's better than nothing." He said good naturedly.

The prince eyed him skeptically as well as the food put before him. Finally though he gave in and ate quietly watching sokka with his golden eyes the way a predator would stalk its prey. 

Sokka didn’t like it, he was looking for some way to get those glaring orbs off of him. He wanted so badly for everyone to just get along and maybe even get the prince onto their side, you couldn’t do that very effectively with him digging into your soul with one good eye.

Finally Sokka broke the tension by saying something.

"So… um… I'm sokka, non bender extraordinaire. Idea man.

The girl with the hair loopies is my sister's water bender. T

he short one with the pom pom things and super scary is toph. Greatest earthbender ever, the worst mistake you could ever make is underestimating her. 

There's appa the big bison is the best flying bison in the world if you ask me! 

Last but not least the most important member of the group! momo! The little leamer!" He said with a smile. The prince didn't react.

"Also the avatar… the kid with the arrow." Sokka shrugged a bit, saddened that his joke didn’t land with the prince.. This guy didn't wanna break easy.

"Zuko." He said finally after sokka had given up on a response. But smiled anyway.

"Nice! Good to meet ya zuko. I was just calling you princey in my head! You don't give off that prince vibe though." Sokka said, stroking his chin.

Zuko didn't answer and instead set down the now empty bowl and cup. His shoulders slumped down and sokka realized how exhausted the guy must have been. Not only that he was expecting to force himself to stay awake.

"You get some shut eye. Well wake you if we need to." Sokka promised zuko gave him a look of pure distrust as an answer

"I promise we won't do anything. While you're asleep. Here." He said handing zuko one of the sleeping bags 

The prince hesitated for one moment more before taking the bag and going to sleep. 

Sokka hung around him. As a makeshift guard in a way. In reality they were all of doing their little magic things and he didn't care to get blasted with air or mud or water.

At least in this scenario there's maybe like a twenty percent chance of getting lit on fire. Looking back over their journeys together would not have been the worst thing to happen to him.

Sokka was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of whimpering coming from zuko as he covered his left eyes covered in the crook of his elbow. 

He appeared to be having a nightmare but it was nothing sokka could make out. 

It went away after a few minutes and sokka stayed a while longer before going and tending to the fire then over to his tent to pick up before deciding against that then back out to try and find something to do. 

When he went back over to the fire bender the heat he had originally radiated was gone!

He had even started shivering at this. 

Sokka, being one to think on his feet, grabbed the sides of the sleeping bag and very carefully drugged it over the fire to try and keep him warm. 

While Sokka must have missed the class on fire bender anatomy he knew they tend to run warmer. And with enough outside factors at play they can have a hard time keeping that temperature up.

He guessed that it could be supper dangerous if it did get cold enough. The last thing he wanted was to make this harder on zuko then he had too. 

Did Sokka think the guy's dad was an asshole who deserved the worst atrocities known to man? Yes he did.

Did he think the fire nation was responsible for countless deaths and innocent lives lost not to mention splitting his family up when he was little? Yes.

But did he blame the prince for it? No.

Sure zuko had bent fire at them a few times and likely had a lot of unkind things to say. However given the circumstances his reaction was pretty reasonable.

When the trio came back all covered in mud except top, they were all relieved to see Zuko sleeping at least. What had them concerned was that sokka was trying to brush appas teeth with a pine tree branch.

"Hey, his breath smelled and I thought the pine smell would help it." Sokka said in his defence.

It did not help it.


	6. Burnt Rice and bad Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko is confused, Katara is angry, Sokka is a bit of a jerk but we still love him, and Aang is too innocent to be an avatar.  
> also Toph is still a Badass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I NEED YOUR HELP ASAP!!! i'm starting a petition. to get the Gaang a brain cell, it would mean a lot if you would sign it. :-)

When zuko woke up it took him a minute to remember where he was.

Oh yeah, being held captive by the avatar and his weird friends. With the intent to trade him back for the ending of the war. 

It wasn’t a dream.

Zuko didn't see it as a guaranteed outcome the way the Avatar and his friends seemed too.

He knew the fire nation citizens liked him and would want him back. The only problem was his father's strong dislike of his son. 

Zuko didn’t entirely know where all his father's animosity c ame from. He tried to be a good son, he tried to be everything his father wanted him to be. 

But whenever push came to shove he would always praise Azula and blame Zuko for never being good enough. 

Blame zuko for all the wrongs going on in the nation.

Zuko was not even sure his father would be saddened by these circumstances. It would make excellent propaganda. 

The fire nation's beloved prince gets captured and killed by the cruel avatar without so much as a goodbye to his loving father or a chance to see his beautiful country ever again. 

Oh he can see the flyers now.

They would make up some tragic detail about how he died with honor for his country or something and how the avatar completely disregarded it in place of a cruel blood shed on an innocent life. It would only fuel the fire of this war. 

However Zuko knew telling this to the Avatar would either be dismissed or taken as the go ahead to kill him right there.

However looking up at the boy with a lemur climbing on his head as he laughed with his friends gave him the idea that it was maybe not entirely the right assumption to make. 

Sure the fire nation curriculum is flawed, all education systems are. But seeing the young airbender look so at peace and happy was directly against everything he was taught about the airbenders.

“Hey, you're awake!” Aang said happily, jumping up to go over to Zuko with a friendly smile.

As the airbender approached him Zuko flinched and tried to get any distance between the two of them back before he got closer.

“Woah don’t worry, we’re not gonna hurt you! I promise,” Aang said sitting a good distance across from the fire bender as the latest events became all the more clear.

Zuko looked at the four of them, the ‘waterbender extraordinaire’ he hadn't seen in action so he couldn’t gage his bets on fighting her. 

The earthbender, even just standing there looked ready to kill him on sight. 

The avatar, while just a kid, Zuko has heard the stories and wasn’t confident he could take him on. 

As for the warrior, what was his name? Sokka! As for Sokka, Zuko had a feeling he could beat him no problem. 

Any escape attempts would need to be centered around him on guard. 

“Are you hungry? We have some leftovers from lunch!” the avatar smiled scooping up a big bowl of rice and veggies for him. 

At first Zuko was reluctant to take anything they offered, but looking at the eyes too big for the boy's head, and the look he held screaming that he meant no harm to anything ever. 

Zuko reluctantly took the bowl from Aang and began eating.

The food was extremely bland, almost flavorless, but he suspected it to be the water tribes cooking. 

The water tribe has never been well known for their quisen. The rest of them gathered around the fire as he ate with Sokka trying and failing to lighten the mood. 

“To which I said, it’s in the house!” before bursting out into laughter at his own joke and the others just rolled their eyes at their friend's joke.

“So how's the food?” asked the water tribe girl, Katara turning the group's attention to him.

it was nerve wracking to say the least. He didn’t like having attention on him, especially when he knew there were steaks in this. 

He tried to think of the best way to respond. Usually there is a correct answer to this, and it's very obvious, but these are some interesting circumstances for him. 

She could be asking as a ‘i want to make you comfortable’ or as a ‘i just poisoned you and now is where you catch on before dying.’

“Fine.” he said at last looking back down at the half eaten food and continued pushing it around with his chopsticks, not wanting to make eye contact. 

He knew whenever his father asked him a question that sounded obvious, there was a right answer. Zuko had yet to find the right answer to those questions.

“It’s okay you don’t have to lie to her, Katara’s cooking has always been bad.” Sokka said bluntly.

“Oh really! Why am I the only one who cooks here then?” she yelled at him looking extremely offended.

“well , if you're so good at it why don’t you make dinner tonight tough guy!” she yelled louder, the water in a bucket nearby rising up higher and higher during her outburst.

‘Watch Katara's temper’ Zuko mentally noted before deciding to finish the food as the two siblings squabble over making rice.

It wasn’t like how he and Azula fought, mostly because Sokka hadn’t ended up badly injured at this point. 

the two twelve year olds sat back and acted like it was a normal debate for the siblings to be having. 

Toph seemed to be teasing the avatar opting to call him Twinkle toes as he looked off with a growing sadness on his face..

“Does this mean we’re having burnt rice for dinner?” Aang asked himself quietly

Turns out the answer is yes, the rice was very burnt.


	7. get Zuko a pet!!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko explains a bit of his dads mentality to the group. also Momo and Zuko bonding over food.

The rice at dinner did end up being burnt… badly, burnt. Zuko opted out of eating and instead tried to see what he could gather listening to the group. 

It was very clear they were all tiptoeing around him, well except for Toph who had no issue going up to him and loudly announcing anything she cared to say.

They had so far been true to their word on not hurting him which was good. 

However they all seemed to keep an eye on him while doing anything else.  One of the times Toph did go up to talk to him she made it very clear that she could see everything down to his own heart beat, and if he were to run she would bury him in a landslide. Before laughing at his reaction.

“Common sparky don't act so rigged we won’t kill ya.” she smiled walking away.

That was enough to tell him that even if they weren't watching him, they still were monitoring him. He didn’t like the idea of the kid knowing everything down to his heart r ate.

They were all sitting around the fire complaining about their inability to acquire cabbage when the little lemur leaped onto Zuko’s shoulder all of the sudden.

“Woah! What's it doing?” he asked the group in a panic.

“He wants your food, Momo, you’ve got your food right here.” Sokka said, trying to get the lemur off, only for Momo to screech at him and hide behind Zuko to avoid him being taken away. 

“He likes how warm you are.”Aang said with a dorky smile. True fire benders do run hotter and Momo didn’t appear to want to let go. 

Zuko decided not to fight it, allowing the little lemur to eat the food. Zuko wasn’t going to eat it anyways.

“Don’t let him get used to that, you’ll never be able to eat alone again.” Toph told Zuko with a smirk.

“I don’t mind.” he shrugged looking at the strange little creature as it picked all the burnt bits out of the rice and ate what was left.

When the lemur finished it hopped onto Zuko's lap and curled up to fall asleep. The fire prince found himself unsure of what to do with it.

“Aww he likes you!” Katara cooed. Zuko gave them all a look of distrust as he sat there unable to move due to it.

“You act like you’ve never held a pet before.” Aang commented.

“Pet’s aren’t really a thing my family does.” he says timidly patting the lemur on the head as it sleeps. Momo let out a small pur of delight causing him to take his hand away immediately.

“Why?” asked Toph.

“I know that one of the best friends was the rabbit cats my dad kept.” she explained.

“My dad has the idea that anything weak enough to depend on another creature for help is better off dead.” Zuko explained with a shrug. The look he got from the rest of them said that it was far from a normal thing to say.

“What?” Zuko asked, feeling anxiety spark in him as he went over it in his head again.

“That’s not right.” Katara told him. The anxiety only spiked more, he didn’t know what he had said wrong, it was just what his dad believed.

“It’s not what I believe, I would never- I’m not saying that I'd-” he stuttered suddenly, very alert to what could happen now.

“Calm down sparky, we know you wouldn’t. It’s the concept of a whole that's concerning.” Toph told him having read his heart rate.

“Oh…” was all Zuko said before the group got quiet exchanging glances with one another before they picked back up whatever it was they were talking about before all of it. 

Zuko stayed quiet and didn’t seem as interested in listening so much as staring at the lemur bat sitting on his lap.

Sure the way he said it was bad but it wasn’t like his father was actively adopting puppy birds in order to kill them. 

He just refused to own one… or to let his kids own them… and make the noblemen get rid of theirs.

The turtle ducks were an exception because they came and went from the pond whenever so he saw them more as pathetic beggars rather than useless layabouts. 

Maybe that sounded bad too

But his dad was fine, just had some high standards is all.

When it came time for everyone to go to sleep the question arose of where Zuko would be going, no one trusted him not to run, as they should. 

He had already charted out the paths most likely to lead to a town and most likely way to avoid the group as needed. 

Though he seems to be a prince and only that, living in a castle with his father leaves a lot of instances in need of hiding, and a lot of ways to sneak out with a mask covering his face.

After the group had bickered among themselves it was clear Katara didn’t want him in with her, Toph would likely hog the entire tent till he dug his way out, Aang already had Appa and Momo to sleep with, so Sokka was stuck bunking with the fire bender. Neither boy looked happy about it either.

“I spent all of my childhood praying that i didn't have to share a room with my water bender sister, one here i am sharing a tent with an ashmaking prince.” he groaned but leads Zuko to his tent and tosses him a sleeping bag.

“Here it gets cold at night.” Sokka said 

Zuko just hummed in response, instead using the roll as a pillow and facing away from Sokka as he got himself tucked in. 

He was not going to sleep tonight, he was absolutely positive he was not going to sleep in case anyone tries anything tonight, or if a group of fire nation soldiers show up to rescue him. Either way he needs to be alert.

_______

Sokka woke up in the middle of the night to get a drink. 

Stepping out into the freezing air however made him hurry right back into the tent where he realized all that wonderful warmth he thought was the night air was actually radiating off the sleeping firebender next to him.

Zuko had been so rigid and on edge all day. 

He thought Zuko was honestly kind of attractive when he wasn’t so tense and angry.

Seeing the boy relax as he slept gave Sokka a sigh of relief he didn’t know he needed. Sure they kinda kidnapped him and it was an understandable reaction, but Sokka couldn’t forget what Zuko had said over dinner.

“He thinks that any creature that asks others for help is better off dead.” it rang in his ears.

Sokka didn’t like thinking of that. Everyone needs help, the way Zuko said that about his own dad, made Sokka wonder if Zuko ever got help from him in the first place. 

Sokka shook the idea out of his mind and pinned it as nothing more than poor wording before going back to sleep.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically the way i'm doing the uploads on this is for every two chapters i write i upload one. so at chapter seven i have fourteen written already and i plan to continue till i'm done with this fic. i kinda know where i want to take it i just need to keep the mojo up. your comments are a huge motivator!


	8. Perks of being blind!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph and Zuko are siblings

“Father please! I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart!” his own voice rang in his ears. It was all too familiar of a dream.

“You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher.” his father hissed.

He felt his dad's hand gently cupping the side of his face, too gentle like he was pondering the exact right place. When he felt the searing pain hit him, he woke up with a start. The left side of his face leaving a dull ache as he did. It was nothing new, it always hurt, no matter where he was… it always hurt…

Looking at the watertribe boy sprawled out next to him, deep asleep Zuko looked at the gaps of light coming through the entrance to the tent and saw that it was at least sun rise by now. 

_ When did they all wake up anyways?  _ he wondered to himself.

_ Did he even have anything blocking the tent? _

Zuko got up and pushed aside the flap seeing that, infact, no one was there. They were all asleep in their own tents, Toph in a structure of earth.

Nothing was stopping him as he slowly began walking away from the camp eyeing it wearily. They should be on guard, something about this should be harder.

He looked ahead of him in the way he was going, there would have to be a town nearby, at least close enough they could get to it for supplies. 

Zuko didn’t get a hundred feet before Toph burst out the ground in front of him, arms crossed and in a fighting stance.

“And where do you think you're going?” she asked, a wide grin on her face as walls of rocks came around the two.

“Okay! Okay! I'm sorry, I'll turn around, just- don’t-'' Zuko hurried out hands shaking, he couldn't so much as get a spark to light in this state, maybe he should eat more of their disgusting 

food.

“Can’t say i blame you Sparky, but i can’t say i’ll let you either.” she smiled pushing down the walls and walking next to him back towards camp.

“So…” Zuko started testing the waters.

“So what? You expect me to put you in a rock cage and drag you back. Hey! That's not a bad idea! I’ll need to remember that.” she beamed.

He didn’t want to test any more waters after that alarming statement so they were quiet for a moment after that.

“I've got some nuts in my bag that we can snack on while we wait for one of my chefs to wake up.” she joked going over to her pouch and taking out a little bag of mixed nuts.

“Why don’t you just cook yourself?” Zuko asked.

“Sure, blind girl cooking how could it possibly go wrong?” Toph jokes.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t-”

“No worries Sparky, though seriously if you don’t eat soon one of two things is gonna happen. Either you pass out, or Katara holds you down and force feeds you like the mother she is.” Toph said popping an almond in her mouth. Zuko didn’t know how to respond so he just sat next to her and picked at the cashews in the pile that Toph seemed to avoid as she felt through it.

“So… that's it?” Zuko asked, finally breaking that silence.

“What do you mean?” Toph asked back.

“You're not gonna do anything now? I tried to run away, and now we’re just sitting here like nothing happened?” Zuko asked genuinely confused at the earth benders behaviour. He thought Earthbenders were rageful and ruthless, they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

“Nah, not how it works around here.”

“But-?”

“I’mma stop you there sparkles, I've run away more than enough times to know there's always a reason for it. Some more obvious than others. And while I feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world forcing you to stay with us, I think the least we can do is let you walk around and feel like part of the group, there's always that awkward period at the beginning of it.” she shrugged,

“But if you do try and leave, I'll hear you, even if I'm sleeping.” she smiled.

“That's terrifying….” Zuko muttered.

“Imagine how i feel? Whenever Suki comes to join us I can't leave her and Katara to their ‘alone time’” she said wrinkling her nose at the thought.

Zuko didn’t know how to respond to that aso continued eating all the cashews.

“Hey,” Toph asked, turning to his direction.

“Yeah?” 

Without another word she punched him in the arm.

“What was that for?” 

“It’s how I show affection.” she smiled at him. 

Zuko knows this kid could demolish him in an instant, but maybe that's why he felt like such a brother at the moment. His sister never wanted help, never wanted him around unless she was planning something, and here Toph is talking to him like she doesn’t even care who he is. 

He smiled to himself at the thought of Azula doing this same thing, and just how strange that would be if she did.

“So, you know how to cook?” Toph asked.

“yeah , why?” Zuko questioned.

“While these nuts are nice and all, I'd rather keep them for myself so you don’t eat all the cashews. I was saving them for last.” she responded by getting up.

“Oh i didn’t-”

“Less talk, more cooking!” she said before going and jumping into the stream of water, waiting a minute before diving her hand in and pulling out a Giant Salmon Trout.

“Hahahaha! Perks of being blind!” she yelled in victory.

Yeah, she’s definitely not Azula.


	9. Tag or hide and seek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know it's been a while! i this chapter great? no, do I have any excuse, literaly no, it's been completed for weeks but my own sense of self perfectionism decided top be a butt but I think we're okay for a bit. I'm gonna uploade another chapter immediatly after this as an I'm sorry, so I hope that works, but this specific one has a bit of actual plot development in it so yay!

Everyone woke to the amazing smell of herbs and fish cooking with rice.

Zuko even left some seasoned rice separate for Aang to have.

“Wow! This is amazing! It actually tastes like food!” Sokka smiled as he shoveled more into his mouth.

“It’ll taste like nothing if you don’t chew it Sokka!” Katara lectured him.

“Where'd you find the herbs?” asked Aang.

“There was a patch of them by the stream where Toph caught the fish, just some ginger and a few wild chilis.” he said with a shrug. 

Zuko honestly wasn’t sure how Toph had gotten him to make everyone breakfast but they all seemed to warm up to him considerably afterwards.

No one tiptoed around him like they had been. 

What continued to linger in the back of his mind was the fact that they said nothing about getting word from the fire lord about his return. 

No one said a thing about the fire nation period. Whenever Aang went to train with Katara Toph and Sokka were still at camp joking around or when Toph trained Aang Katara and Sokka were there with Katara trying to mother both Zuko and Sokka

Katara continuously tried to tell Sokka to eat slower and Zuko to eat more, to pick up after himself, to sit up straight, and any other number of things she thought of.

It was never in an accusatory way though, it was a lot like his own mother before she disappeared. 

However he liked it the least when Sokka went out hunting, or fishing. Katara and Toph would start fighting, and Aang would try and fix it only to make it worse and the two would storm off before making up later after cooling down. 

It was amazing how much Sokka held everything together with his constant joking and endless talking. Zuko had no idea how much he himself missed the other boy till he came back with a  string of fish in his toe. 

In only a few days he had grown quite fond of the group, mentally slapping himself for that fact. He knows that soon someone was going to be here to rescue him, or a hawk would come in response to get him back; it was only a matter of waiting for it to happen.

It would happen. 

Why wouldn’t it? 

Zuko had a long list of answers for why it wouldn’t happen, all of them he blocked out and turned back into the stream of consciousness Sokka was spewing.

  
  


___________

(In the Fire Nation)

No one is aware of the Prince's disappearance aside from a very select few, a select few who are under the princesses scrutinizing eye at all times.

When you join the royal guard you expect to keep a close watch of the royals, not the other way around.

When Ozai calls his daughter in to see him she has a very good idea of what he is going to ask her. She would be more than happy to do it. Mother always liked Zuzu more, she had thought with Mother gone he would have faded into the background too.

Sadly no, her love was replaced with the country's love. They mistake his weakness as compassion.

True compassion is ruthless.

True compassion strikes first and asks questions later. 

The way a pet sees their place and the way its owner sees its place are very different matters, Zuzu has never been good at grasping that concept.

“You wanted to see me fire lord?” Azula asked, bowing to her father.

“As you know Prince Zuko has, unfortunately, gone missing.” he said from his throne looking down at his youngest with a stone cold stare that she thrived under.

“A most devastating turn of events for our nation.” Azula said back.

“Indeed, if our nation finds out what it is the Avatar is demanding in return. They will act on impulse.” he said.

“Then we smash their impulses to the ground and let them rot with all the other swine down there.” Azula offers.

“Lest you forget Princess Azula a fire lord is nothing without the gullible swine to feast on.” he scolds.

Azula bows lower.

“My apologies for my bluntness, fire lord, how may I serve you on this matter?” she asked.

There was a beat of silence, so quiet you could hear the faint flow of the river below the castle.

“Make it look like an accident, capture the avatar and return with the devastating news that the beloved prince Zuko died a captive, his body. Unsavable.” 

“Yes my lord.” Azula smiled to herself.

“Dismissed.” The fire lord told her, as Azula left the throne room she couldn’t hide the grin growing on her face as she went to her brother's room.

The guards outside have been informed that the prince is very ill and is under no circumstance to be visited by anyone other than the Princess and the Firelord, as well as a single servant ordered to go in and out for five minutes three times a day. 

By the end of all this nonsense she would have to be killed. Pitty, she was quite fun to mess with.

When news comes up that Zuko’s dead they will need to wrap the whole time line a bit, but it's a small price for Azula to secure her place on the throne.

As she let herself in, closing and latching the door shut she looked to the painting Lu Ten had given to Zuko when they were young, before he had gotten scared, and before Lu Ten got himself killed like the fool he always was.

She studied Zuko features closely and felt the same rage for that little boy that she had even back then. 

“You were always the favorite Zuzu. I can’t say I blame them, you always knew how to touch the weakest part of a person's emotions like that. It just shows how weak you are yourself for even wasting time on things like that.” she smiled at the painting wishing so badly she could see the painting flinch like Zuko used too.

“I have waited for years to do this Zuzu.” Azula continued to talk to it, before glancing at her mother in the painting.

“Don’t give me that look mother, what did you truly expect of your little monster. 

You had to have known this would happen, sooner or later.

Think of it like old times, we’re brother and sister, it’s important for us to play together.” Azula said, leaning her back against one of the bed posts mimicking her innocent tone.

“The only question left to answer, are we playing play tag, or hide and seek?”

  
  



	10. Feet don't lie, Eyes do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as promised a new chapter! with a little hint of Zuka

It was the middle of the night when Toph awoke to something feeling off, she couldn’t place it.

It was like people were hiding in the woods, but she couldn’t get a read on anyones exact placement, she just knew they were being watched. 

One minute it was only a handful of people, the next it felt like hundreds, thousands, then back to only a few.

She got up and sat outside with her earth tent with hands and feet firmly planted on the ground, listening for anything, she got nothing for hours till somewhere in the distance she could feel feet walking on the ground in the other direction, she felt all the others leave too. 

If she couldn’t get a read on how many were even there, it would have been a bad idea to confront them.

When she was certain they were gone however she made no game of waking everyone up.

“We gotta go!” 

“what why?” Aang asked, sitting up, rubbing his eyes as she dragged Katara out of her Tent flailing around.

“People were watching the camp last night!” Toph snapped at them before going in and kicking Sokka awake and Zuko Jumped up with a start at all the commotion. 

Though she was a bit  disappointed at not getting to tease the two for cuddling up to one another from the feel of it.

“Sokka! Get packed! You!” she said pointing in Zuko's direction.

“Get on the bison or so help me Aang i will throw you there myself!” she snapped at him. 

Zuko was about to protest but the look on Toph's face said that it would be a big mistake. She must have channeled Azula on that one.

He got up and climbed onto Appa as the others packed up camp.

He had started to forget where he fell in this mess. It had honestly started to feel like he was just camping with some friends and their weird pets. 

The Avatar, was truly just a kid. All those stories of him being a plotting evil genius were really just stories. 

It was hard to believe the same boy who stopped an entire volcano was also the boy who blushed at the slightest smile from Katara. 

He waited for everyone to finish up, looking around, he could only think about how easy it would be to run, he thought that a lot. He could just get up and walk away, it seemed that easy, he knew it wasn’t though. 

He knew that even if they were distracted, even if they didn’t even turn to look at him, Toph knew he was there.

One minute it felt like he’d known her forever, the next it felt like she had a personal vendetta against him. It was like his sister if Azula had any sense of empathy towards him... and if she was able to move rocks lik Toph did.

Looking around the trees he saw something hanging off a branch… it couldn’t be.

“Azula?” he asked himself, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes before looking back. 

She was gone. 

It had to have been how tired he still was, and homesickness. That had to be it. 

Yet no matter how far he digged into himself, none of his home sickness actually related to his family.

“Okay! Let’s go!” Aang said hopping on the bison's head and the other three climbed on.

“Are you sure you felt something? You may have just been paranoid.” Katara offered Toph as they took off.

“No! The earth doesn’t lie like eyes do! People were here. One second it felt like three the next it felt like thousands, and then nothing… just gone.” she said looking concerned.

“besides! We’ve stayed in one place for long enough, it’s time to keep moving.” she said her tough exterior back in place.3 

“Eh, whatever. I’m going back to sleep.” Sokka yawned before curling up in a pile of sleeping bags in the saddle.

The wind moving over them was cold as all hell. Zuko hadn't ridden on Appa till now, at least not awake. It took all his concentration to keep the air around himself warm, it was hard to meditate with Sokka’s loud snoring.

He was spooked out of his concentration though by the other boy wrapping his arms around Zuko’s waist half asleep and snuggling closer.

“Warm…” he breathed happily. 

Zuko looked up at Katara and panicked. 

“Don’t worry, he’s just a heat leech, feel free to shove him off.” she shrugged.

Something in Zuko told him not to shove Sokka away. 

Whether it be because Katara was testing him, or the pressure of the other boys body weight was calming, he didn’t know, but he just closed his eyes and went back to focusing his inner flame till he himself dozed off and Katara took a mental picture for herself to bring up later.


	11. Sokka and his inability to read body language.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph is a good sister, Sokka is a loud mouthed dumbass, and Zuko is angry. 
> 
> thats about it really

They flew around for hours trying to find a good spot to land, that was far out of the way of their last campsite.

When they finally found a well hidden meadow to set up base. When Sokka was woken up from his wonderful dream of a nice snuggly fireplace Katara nudged him.

“If you two love birds are done cuddling you can help set up camp.” she smiled down at them.

Zuko immediately pushed Sokka away, now being far more awake to comprehend the situation.

Sokka turned bright red and went to help set up.

Sure he had maybe snuggled closer to the fire bender at night. How could you not! He was a walking talking heatpack! Well, he didn’t talk a lot but Sokka can bring that out of him!

The two went about helping setting up tents and a fire pit, adamantly avoiding one another's gaze.

However by the time lunch rolled around Zuko seemed ready to forget about it. Katara and Aang were off by the water, and Toph was out cold in her tent after waking up at the crack of dawn.

So it was just Sokka and Zuko sitting there and Sokka continued rattling Zuko’s ear off over their bowls of burnt rice and undercooked beans.

Zuko wondered how such a thing was even possible when you cooked them together.

“But then it’s a question of if it's even important enough to hunt after or are you better off finding something else to hunt. The only exception would be- wait, how’d we even get on this topic?”

Sokka asked all of the sudden. Zuko shrugged, he had said maybe two words during his whole talk on what had started out as ‘it’s better to buy in bulk’

“Eh, whatever, so how’s the food?” Sokka asked with a hopeful smile, a smile that no matter what Zuko felt about this whole situation he couldn’t dare to break.

“Fine.” he said back, taking a bite of the hardly touched rice and beans.

“Eh, I've eaten better. Your cooking is probably the best i’ve had in months being out on the road like this.” Sokka said casually, secretly he was hoping to get a little information out of Zuko.

“Have you ever been outside of the fire nation before?” he asked.

“No,” Zuko said, still pushing his food around like it was the most important task in the world.

“Huh, well i guess when you have everything back at home.” Sokka shrugged. Zuko didn’t comment on that. He had no desire to be talking about home right now.

“Got any siblings?” Sokka continued as he ate.

“Yeah.” Zuko said, again not wanting the conversation to continue and not knowing how to tell him to stop asking.

“How many?” Sokka continued clearly not catching onto Zuko’s clear message.

“One.” Zuko said.

“Brother or sister?”

“Sister.”

“Older or younger?”

“Younger.”

“You guys get along?” Zuko was ready to be done with Sokka's endless questions. If Sokka wanted to know so much why not lay it right out in front of him.

“My younger sister is a fire bending prodigy and the only time she ever wanted to be with me is to use me in her schemes which usually ended up in someone getting burned if not killed.

  
She’s tried to kill me at least three times and is most likely reveling in my disappearance because she can finally be fire lord and i can finally be dead and she won't have to go through all the paperwork saying she’s killed me.” Zuko said slowly getting angrier.

his golden eyes began digging into Sokka’s bright blue ones who were quite taken aback by the reaction.

When Sokka said nothing Zuko looked away and back to the food suddenly missing Sokka’s yamering but at the same time having an intense hatred for the other boy.

The silence was long and distant before Sokka spoke up again right as Toph was waking up and Aang and Katara came back from practice.

“So did your sister give you that scar?” he asked quietly.

The campfire in front of them grew five feet in moments reaching just inches between Sokka and Zuko. as Zuko threw his bowl to the side he stomped away from camp and into the forest.

His fists nothing but balls of fire.

Sokka had flung himself back at the outburst of flames, lucky no tents were burned and all and all they would need to get more firewood.

“Should we go after him?” Aang asked.

“Nah, let sparkles cool down for a bit then I can track him, he’s already stopped walking.” Toph said, not even moving from where she lay recline on a big rock.

“What’s he doing?” asked Katara.

“From the feel of it he’s punching a rock.” She shrugged.

_________________

Of all the people Toph thought would be worried about Zuko Toph didn’t think sokka would be the one.

He kept pushing her to go check on him. Toph didn’t have the whole seeing with feet down to a science where she could track every part of a person but she could tell when Zuko still needed a minute.

Finally she got sick of the nagging from Sokka

“Tell him i’m really sorry and that i know my cooking sucks!” Sokka called after her as she headed in the direction Zuko went.

She stopped halfway through knowing he was gonna need a few more minutes.

From the feel of it being a bit closer he wasn’t punching a rock, it felt more like fire was hitting a rock really hard.

Eventually she decided Zuko calmed down enough and continued to where he was slumped against the rock he’d been hitting.

“Listen FireFists, I can totally respect the whole Sokka is annoying and you want him to shut up thing, but you're really wrenching my rep as a stone hard warden.” she smiled.

He didn’t react to that.

Toph went over and sat beside Zuko on the still hot rock. She didn’t say anything, she just kinda sat there and listened to Zuko’s heavy breathing and elevated heart rate.

“So what now?” Zuko asked.

“Eh, we can sit here and have a mushy heart to heart, or we can go back to camp and both of us be annoyed to death by Sokka and Katara respectively.” she shrugged. Waiting a beat before continuing.

“Ooooor, we can ditch both of those options and I can show you something cool.” she grinned widely.


	12. Crystal Caves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph is amazing at planning things even if you don't know it yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I wasn't planning on posting today but my sister and. I did an ATLA drinking game (we are both of legal drinking age) and i ended up writing like three chapters in a day so here you go!  
> 2\. plz drink responsibly and if this chapters editing isn't great i may or may not be a little tipsy as i write this note  
> 3\. i pre wrote this chapter in advance so any generally poor writing in this i have no excuse for.  
> hope you have a good night imma eat ice cream and probably be embarrassed by this note in the morning.  
> (again drink responsibly and don't party in the pandemic.

Toph and Zuko found themselves in a deep cave without any light coming through, lucky Toph couldn’t see in the first place, and Zuko was a fire bender who could conjure a ball of fire into his hand at will.   
“So what did you want to show me?” he asked as they walked further in.

“Well, remember when i said there are advantages to being a blind earth bender? Well one of them is that I can feel things on the earth that you wouldn’t know about.

As I was waiting for you to lose steam I noticed this place. I don’t get a chance to work with Crystals much, soooo.” 

she stopped before there was a sudden rumbling as the fire in Zuko's hand began to reflect more and more off of the growing mounds of crystals around them till they were suddenly completely surrounded by the glowing gems with the fire reflecting all over the cave, lighting it well.

“Wow…” Zuko muttered.

“I can’t exactly see any of this, but i like how smooth they are compared to other earth.” Toph said running her hand up and down one of the precious stones.

“It’s amazing!” Zuko smiled.

“Yeah, whenever i get fed up with Katara trying to mother me to death i’ll usually find one of these stuck in the dirt somewhere and get it up. It’s not common that there's so many big ones in one place.” she smiled, breaking off a piece of the gem into her hand and tossing it around.

“I just throw fire at things and make it all worse.” Zuko sighed.

“I get it, no matter what the two of them say Sokka and Katara are a lot alike. They both like to dig up the sore spots without even meaning too. When i first joined i guess they didn’t really realize how bad home life was.” Toph shrugged 

“What do you mean?” Zuk asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“Eh, coming from a rich family with controlling parents, sure all angles it was bad, but i guess it took a while for them to catch onto the whole concept that money doesn’t buy happiness.” she shrugged, playing blazeh to the whole thing, Zuko could tell what she ment with it though. 

“My sisters tried to kill me before, I think the only reason my father hasn’t killed me is because of how the rest of the fire nation would react.” Zuko shrugged, playing the same act of Blazeh as Toph.

“Till i joined the group i didn’t realize how messed up all of my home life actually was, sometimes i still don’t fully realize.” Toph shrugged.

They were quiet for a minute.

“I doubt that my father is actually going to want me back. He’s probably happy to have someone else around to kill me rather than himself.” Zuko confessed. 

At first he was hesitant to talk about his father's own disinterest in his son. He was afraid they’d just kill him, or abandon him on the spot. 

Toph wouldn’t do that though, none of them would do that.

“I think I picked up on that pretty much the first day.” she shrugged.

“Then why keep me here?” Zuko asked.

“Because,” Toph grinned again going up to him.

“I would be a damn hypocrite to let another rich\ kid from a messed up family get dragged back. No matter how much you think you want too.” she smiled at him.

“But I-”

“You miss the heritage and the people of the city and want to go back to that rather than your family?” Toph asked, reading his mind.

“I’ve used those excuses with myself before. I like Ba Sing Se, I like the people, not so much my controlling parents and the corrupt-t political system but hey, what can you do?

But at the end of the day I know that i wouldn’t go back because no matter what i miss there. 

Those things aren’t worth all the heartache I would have being back at home.” Toph said seriously, suddenly shoving all the crystals back into the ground, leaving only enough light for Zuko to make out her outline and not much else.

“Do you actually want to run back to that shit Sparky?” Top asked, her voice cracking a little as she said it. Zuko suddenly realized she got rid of all the extra sources of light.

“I don’t know.” he sighed to himself.

“I want to go back, but i don’t want to go back as a prince. I want to be a normal guy, just walking the streets. No one knowing me.” he shrugged even if Toph couldn’t see it.

“Well, if you choose to come along with us then you can be that Average guy walking the streets. We don’t have to turn you over to your dad.” she shrugged.

“Even if he does end the war?” Zuko asked.

“Hmm, maybe as a ploy to get face to face with him so i can crush him under a giant rock,” she joked.

“Let’s get back to camp though, they’re probably starting to get worried.” Toph said, leading them back out the cave. As they walked through the woods Zuko decided to break the silence.

“What was that about ditching the heart to heart?” Zuko asked.

“Who’s to say that wasn’t the plan all along?” she smiled back. 

They walked in silence a few more steps before Toph spoke up again.

“For real though, think about it. Because for whatever reason I enjoy your company.” she smiled.

“For whatever reason I like being around.” Zuko said back, and they walked in a comfortable quiet all the way back to camp.


	13. Chapter 13

Once the pair got back to camp Sokka was apologizing profusely till Zuko threatened to storm off again.

“Okay! Okay, I just, I didn't mean to make you angry. Please don’t leave??? I like having another guy around!” Sokka pleaded, throwing his arms around Zuko in a big hug, giving the boy the biggest blue puppy dog eyes you’ve ever seen.

Zuko honestly found it quite endearing.

“Who am I then?” Aang chimed in as Zuko moved around uncomfortably under Sokka's death grip.

“You're a twelve year old vegetarian who would rather make fruit pies than be a badass bender.” he snapped back, still clinging to Zuko. 

Aang pouted for a minute before agreeing to the statement himself. Sokka had been hoping that he and zuko could work up to hunting buddies soon, he didn’t want to put that in jeopardy.

“Sokka let Zuko go and come eat.” Katara told her brother and they all sat around eating the blank rice and beans that Zuko choked down for once. He was not up for KAtar’s usually nagging 

mother routine no matter how much she was already at it. 

By the time they Sokka climbed into their tent to go to sleep Zuko was already out. Hurling fire at a rock for two hours would have to be pretty draining. Sokka climbed into his sleeping bag from 

the cold night air and wondered to himself if it was possible for Zuko to heat up the tent more than it was. He was already freezing! He would never admit to snuggling up in his sleep but he 

definitely closed the distance quite a bit. Tonight he thought to give the fire bender space and stop trying to force their friendship, even if something deep inside said he wanted more than 

friendship. All the same he fell asleep shivering like back up at the south pole and hoped the heat in the tent would build over night.   
_________________

The heat built at first sokka was in the nicest envelope of heat that you never want to leave. However that heat quickly started to make him sweat, and is that the smallest hint of smoke?

“Sokka! Sokka! Wake up!” there was a sudden thump on his head before he startled up being drug out of a burning tent!

“What did you do!” he demanded at Zuko Who was dragging him.

“On the Bison!” he ordered it took Sokka a moment to realize all the other tents were on fire as well, and everyone was running out and hurriedly packing Appa.

“Oh Zuzu!” was heard in the trees before a shower of fire engulfed half the campsite. 

Zuko and Sokka both rushed around Camp Zuko going into the flaming tents to grab supplies before going out again. As the last of their things were being thrown onto Appa the entire tree 

canopy caught fire, making it hard to take off.

“What do we do!” Sokka panicked.

“Aang! Put out the fires!” Katara ordered already hurling water.

Sokka looked around at camp for anything, just fire smoke, Zuko and some chick.

Wait.

Zuko stood there in a defensive stance against a girl who looked a lot alike their own resident firebender. 

“What are you doing here Azula?” Zuko asked her to look more and more on the defence by the minute as Aang and Katara put out the rest of the canopy.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m about to celebrate becoming an Only child!” she cackled, throwing blue flames in his direction for him to deflect and flung back at her.

“Zuko we gotta go!” Aang shouted Zuko barely dodged the blue flames flung over at him and managed to distract her with a few fireballs long enough to jump onto the already airborne Bison.

Down on the ground Azula smiled to herself at the sight most others would be angry at.

“Tag it is.” she muttered before disappearing back into the trees.

“So that's the sister trying to kill you?” Sokka observed.

“Yeah.” Zuko sighed. This time Sokka got the message that Zuko didn’t want to talk and he instead took to reclining next to the other boy in a long winded silence. Finally everyone got fed up 

with the stressful loud quiet and started their own small talk. The group had a deep dislike for silence of any kind. Zuko found himself enjoyin g the quiet however there was the very real fact 

that all their tents had been burned to the ground, quite frankly knowing his sister is now out to kill him, Zuko would rather avoid a tent all together. They could ask Toph to bend up some earth 

tents for them but at that same time Zuko didn’t entirely trust two slabs of rock leaning on one another as a safer option. He trusted that Toph wouldn’t crush them with it, but when she’s asleep 

who’s to say what happens then. 

They would have to worry about it later on and hope it’s not too cold tonight. However looking at the direction they're going, and the weather they're currently in, no one could be too sure about 

that. 

There is also the factor that half the bag of beans got ruined in the fire. Food shopping would certainly be interesting with the missing fire prince and Avatar around.


	14. act natural

By the time the group found a spot to land it was mid morning.

Assessing the damages they decided it best that they stock up on food in the nearby town and with any luck find some lodgings.

They decided it best to leave Aang and Toph to their earth bending practices and take Zuko into town with Katara and Sokka.

When they got into the small earth kingdom town, however, they saw people whispering to one another and pointing to the trio.

Katara and Sokka tried to brush it off, Zuko just followed along awkwardly, having ended up sandwiched between the two siblings as the only way to stop them fighting over what rice to get.

As Katara was haggling with one of the shop keeps he and Sokka went off to find a place selling tents and see about any fairer prices.

“What's the deal with this town?” Sokka asked, looking at all the people shooting dirty looks their way.

“Is it because your fire nation?” he asked Zuko, suddenly aware of the stark contrast he made in his fire nation reds.

“No, there's a fire nation colony in the next town over.” Zuko shrugged before freezing in his place.

“What’s wrong?” Sokka asked.

“A fire nation colony that knows i’m missing!” Zuko whispers to Sokka.

“Wait, what?” Sokka asked, confused.

Why would Zuko offer up that information to him? Yeah it’s important, but he’s their hostage.

Zuko pulled Sokka over to an empty Alleyway to talk.

“In case you haven’t caught on to this yet, I’m the fire nation's beloved missing prince! My dad and sister want me dead, and they're trying to frame you guys for it to further their narrative of ‘the avatar is evil’ and me walking through town next to no sleep and an empty stomach is not a good look. I’m kinda easy to spot.” Zuko said harshly, pointing to the scar over his left eye.

Sokka’s eyes widened at that fact.

“Oh shit…” he muttered to himself looking Zuko up and down.

The fire prince did look worse for wear. None of them had really bathed for a while, and could smell it.

Not to mention Zuko’s clothes looked less then pressed clean.

He also seemed quite a bit skinnier than before and those dark circles under his eyes certainly didn’t help the ‘we take care of our hostage’ thing.

Yet the only thing he could actually think of to say after all of that

“So you're staying with us?”

Zuko gave Sokka a look that gave him all he needed as an answer.

“Okay, we can discuss later, let’s find Katara and get out of here.”

Sokka said before grabbing Zuko and pulling him along.

“As long as no Colonials show up we should be okay.” Zuko added.

The two found Katars outside one of the fruit stalls holding a bag of other groceries.

“Hey, did you find the tents?” she asked the two of them.

“We need to head back.” Sokka told her.

“Why?” she asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

“I’ll explain later, for now we-”

“Excuse me?”

The group turned to see a young man dressed in red armor along with two others close behind.

“Soldiers.” Zuko whispered.

“Is everything alright here?” the young man asked, looking specifically at Zuko.

They know who I am. They know who I am and I am screwed.

“Fine! We’re fine.” Zuko spoke up, the anxiety that he couldn’t keep from dripping in his voice didn’t seem to help the matter at all.

“Are you sure?” the soldier asked very clearly not to buy it. He gave a look to the two water tribe siblings, then to Zuko as if to ask him what's actually going on.

“Yeah, everything's fine.” Zuko said again this time with more conviction. Straightening his posture and trying to look more awake then he was.

“I found myself a little far away from home . We were just traveling to the next port together then we were on our way.” Zuko said with a smile. He knew they wouldn’t buy it but denial buys time.

“Of course, as soldiers of the fire nation we would like to offer our service to take you the rest of the way and insure your safe travels.” the soldier offered with a deep bow.

They knew what they were doing, they didn’t insinuate they knew who Zuko was, but they knew exactly who he was.

They knew exactly who Sokka and Katara were from the wanted posters. They  
knew who the pair were traveling with. What they didn’t know was why the prince was with them or why he looked so worse for wear.

Though going off their current context they could guess the situation at hand.

“I greatly appreciate your offer, however I made a deal with my companions to help them with a personal matter and am honor bound to comply. However I greatly value your concern for my safety and well being and will not forget it.” Zuko said, returning with a small bow of his own.

The trio hurried out as quickly as they could.

The soldiers watched them as they left town and even followed a short way behind to make sure it was who they thought it was.

“What do you want to do sir?” asked one of the soldiers to his captain.

“Send word to the fire nation immediately, and the surrounding colonies,” he said looking at where the group left from, if word didn’t come back that the prince had returned home, then it gave all the information needed that he was in danger.

Agni forbid that something happened to the fire prince. The fire lord could lead them to victory, only their prince could bring them to peace.


	15. SPICES!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was hungry and slightly intoxicated when writing this. (I am of legal age plz drink responsibly.)

With no tents as an option that night, and Appa needing to rest they decided to stay a day or two till they could find a spot farther away from the colonies. 

Zuko didn’t give his own input, quite honestly he wanted to go and walk around the fire nation colony, he wanted that taste of home, more importantly he wanted that taste of taste. 

All the food they cooked was bland and flavorless. While there's something to be said about getting kidnapped and the food is the worst part, he missed having something other than salt. 

That is why when they all settled down for dinner and he smelled the sweet sweet aroma of ginger and cumin he had to do a double take.

“While you and Sokka were looking for tents I found a guy selling spices, I thought I would try some. The south pole doesn’t offer a lot in the way of herbs.” Katara smiled innocently. 

While Zuko was right that it’s dangerous for him to appear in any form of distress in those situations, it didn’t help that he barely ate any of their food! 

Back at the palace it was a very different story. 

He would eat three meals a day and had open access to the pantry on top of servants bringing his food from home saying ‘you mentioned my moms cinnamon buns’ or ‘this was an old family recipe’ 

The best food he’s ever had had been brought from a servant's own home, it also helped that he would pull some strings to make bonuses happen or even a raise. 

His father tried to make it so the pantry stayed locked saying ‘he cannot ascend to the throne if he’s too fat to walk’ that just made one of the guards 'accidentally’ set fire to the door because of an intruder that had been taken care of. 

They just haven't gotten around to fixing it. 

For six years.

When dinner time came Zuko sat down with the full bowl of lamb-beef on rice with beans on the side, and ate the whole thing and another serving. 

Dear Agni, he missed flavors! Then at night with a full bowl of food he was ready to fall asleep in a tent or no tent. 

Heck he would have made a pillow on a rock and went to sleep there. But he helped Katara do the dishes which made her all too happy.

“See Sokka! Someone is actually helping! Isn’t that crazy! Someone other than ME doing the dishes!” she sassed. 

“Hey, I helped you before!” Sokka defended.

“When?” she asked back.

“It’s okay, I do them better anyways.” Zuko said with a smirk.

“Oh don’t even go there!” Sokka said, springing up and going next to the firebender to scrub as Katara watched in disbelief.

“Don’t think i don’t know what you're doing.” Sokka said, narrowing his eyes at KAtara.

“Sounds to me like you're just intimidated.” Zuko smirked, making Sokka's face contort into an irrationally angry frown before he put his full force into cleaning out the bowls and pot.

Katara knew she was gonna have to remember to do that later on with her brother. 

that evening everyone had gone to bed by the time Sokka shimmed into his sleeping bag, pulling the corners tight around him trying to keep warm. 

He looked over next to him at Zuko and grumbled at the lack of a tent to keep the heat in.

“Stupid firebender with your stupid warm hot body and stupid hair, and golden eyes…” he grumbled, burying deeper in till he was in a ball of cold sleeping bag.

“Hey, you alright?” he heard suddenly, he poked his head out to see Zuko with a groggy, concerned expression on his face.

“Y-y-y-y-eah j-j-j-j-just-t-t-t-t c-cold.” Sokka said through chattering teeth. Zuko paused for a second as if trying to build up enough courage before speaking again.

“Well, you wanna come over here? I radiate heat when I sleep.” he shrugged. 

Sokka took the offer in a heartbeat and rolled over in his sleeping bag till he was pressed up against the fire bender. 

He was warm! Soooooooo warm! 

Sokka unzipped the sleeping bag and pulled Zuko in before zipping it up again. 

This earned a slight yelp from the fire prince as he turned scarlet red.

While Zuko had no interest in protesting these actions, the speed that Sokka had to do so, as well as the strength to literally pull him in, was frankly kind of alarming… 

And kind of attractive. 

as Sokka settled in clinging onto Zuko he found himself relaxing at the never ending embrace the water tribe warrior offered. 

As Sokka’s breath evened out into quiet snores Zuko cuddled up   
close too, and just enjoyed the embrace. As sad as it sounded he couldn’t remember the last time someone actually hugged him. He only really brushed hands in passing and had worked very hard at avoiding his father's wrath. 

So laying here being engulfed in the muscular arms of the water tribe peasant, he had the unsettling idea that he could get used to this.

It’s only because he’s cold Zuko told himself, but he could enjoy it tonight, and let himself fall asleep and for once not have any nightmares.


	16. LEAD ROLE DIES BEFORE HIS THEATER DEBUT DUE TO INCOMPETENT FRIENDS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pure indulgent fluff, the next chapter even more indulgent than this one.

When Sokka woke up to find his sleeping bag empty, he was rushed with a wave of panic at where the hell Zuko could have gone before the conversation they had yesterday came flooding back. 

His mood settled down to one of dull disappointment towards his seemingly empty sleeping bag. 

Though shortly after he snuggled deep deeeeeep into his bed roll to try and get a little more shut eye only to be struck with a massive bolder a moment later 

“Common snoozles time to get a move on!!!” 

“Whaaaaaaaaaaat!!!???” he groaned rolling over to face the dirt.

“Can’t we stay for a little longer??”

“No can do! Firefly here needs to get out of town and i know just the place!” Toph smiled evilly.

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Zuko said, emerging from the stream with Katara supposedly getting water.

“Common guys you can trust me! I haven't led you astray in days!” there was a silent hesitate before she spoke again.

“Great! No arguments, let's go!” 

With that she kicked the ground sending Sokka into the air and landing on top of Appa with a groan from both. 

Aang didn’t protest for whatever reason knowing what was going on with this plan and just flew Appa in the right direction as Katara healed Sokka from getting hit with a rock this morning.

“All I'm saying to Toph is that I don't enjoy being Catapulted onto a flying monster!

“To be fair Sokka you weren’t going to get up.” Katara added.

“Wow, from my own sister.” Sokka said fainting hurt as he swooned back into the seat beside Zuko who was reading a play scroll. 

How did he acquire that?

“Where'd you get a scroll from?” Sokka asked.

“Found it.” Zuko said bluntly.

“Oh what does it matter? My sister likes seeing me in pain, my friends cause me pain! The only one who truly loves me is momo and he doesn’t even wear a shirt! I’ll just die from a head injury.”

“Common Sokka don’t be a drama queen.” Katara rolled her eyes.

“If you keep it up you’d be a shoe in for Love amongst the Dragons.” Zuko mentioned.

“I can see the headlines now, lead roll dies before his debut to incompetent friends!”

“I could finish healing you if you'd stop being a jerk!” 

Katara said, losing patience.

“I can only be healed by loving magic bending!” Sokka said hyping it up just a bit more for effect, only for Zuko to lean over and place a kiss on Sokka's temple.

“There, loving magic bending, now shut up and let her finish.” Zuko said going back to burying his head in the scroll to hide his blush as Sokka shut his mouth and let his sister finish as he tried to hide a blush as well.

That did not just happen.

That didn’t just happen!

In no way under Tei and Lu did that just happen!

Holy shit that just happened!

Sokka felt his heart beating like a drum as the little tingles lingered on his temple.

He was so happy that Toph couldn’t track any of that due to being on Appa, and Aang (for once) was focused on steering.

It was only Katara who smiled smugly at her brother and Zuko who was all too fascinated on the play scroll in hand. 

Katara felt all kinds of smitten towards what she just witnessed. She knew her brother better than anyone.

She knew his perspective on women and men even if he himself didn’t know it. He’s never out right said anything, however him being attracted to deadly women and his overly eager friendships towards more feminin men told her a lot about his own preference. 

She would never go out of her way to tell him that she knew, he’d say it when he wanted too, on his own terms.

For now she's just reveling in the fact that Zuko got him to shut up without having to open his mouth.

Sokka sat there red as a tomato the rest of the session and she knew Zuko was not so in that interested in the scroll she gave him from the market last night.

Toph at this point was going off about how long it was taking Appa to get to wherever the hell they were going. 

Katara knows that Toph had a plan for this, she knows the basics of ‘it’s a safe lodging’ but other than that she knows nothing else. 

Seeing as the result of Toph’s last scheme ended up with them being on a fire nation hit list she was more than hesitant and hoped for the love of Tei and Lu they didn’t end up in prison again.


	17. chapter 17 Spa day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> self indulgent fluff

When they finally landed at their destination it looked a little too pristine for Toph to have picked for herself.   
The garden too well kept, and the house looking a little too breakable. Everything seemed a little too in place and perfect for any of it to seem remotely Toph at all.  
It was beautiful, all the plants and flowers in bloom as well as all the staff roaming around in beautiful uniformed attire, everything about it screamed ‘not Toph’

“What are we doing here?” Sokka asked her as they all dismounted.

“Well, from what you told me about our little Colonial incident and from using common sense I’d say it’s a safe bet to tell you that Firefly over here is a little worse for wear.”

“I’m not-” Zuko started.

“Can it Sparkles i’m blind not stupid, and as fun as it is to ruff it out there you need to look somewhat alive, my parents used to send me out here when they though that company could put their   
poor little doll into harms way! The help here is annoying as hell but your in good hands.” Toph shrugged.

“Okay, but how are we supposed to pay for-”

“Don’t worry Sokka! I’ve got it covered, by the feel of it you could use some TLC too.” Toph said before going up to one of the staff members who started for a moment before regaining her wide smile.

“Miss Beifong! How wonderful to see you again! I was unaware of your visit today but may i just say what an honor it is!” she smiled.

“Hey Jou good to see you too.”

“What can we do for you today? A bath and a pedicure perhaps.”

“Not for me, but see my friend Lee over here, give him the Beifong treatment and set them up with some food! Lots of food. My dad already knows what's being done today so you can just bill him as usual.” 

“of course miss.” Jue smiles before bowing and hurrying inside for a moment. 

“I don’t think this is really necessary Toph.” Zuko said, looking deeply uncomfortable.

“Oh don’t worry chilly flake, you’ll love it! it ‘s right up your alley!” Sokka sassed smiling widely at his diss.

“it‘s now that I-”

“Oh you’re fine doing all your prissy prince stuff! Go get pampered.” Sokka smiled out even though his heart cringed at seeing Zuko frown at that comment.

‘Common Sokka be a guy, guy’s laugh about the idea of spa days,’ Sokka told himself as Jou came back out with the same warm smile on.

“We’re ready for you sir.” she smiled.

“Oh, him to, it’s a couples thing for the newly arranged.” Toph smiled evilly at the two’s direction.

“What!” Sokka yelled as Jou, with surprising strength, drug the two inside the bath house leaving Aang Katara and Toph to be led to the kitchens. 

“How exciting for you two! Not many nobles are so open to the idea of two men being arranged together you must be so happy.” 

Jou smiled as Zuko turned beet red with his wrist through the bath house and Sokka looked utterly confused and betrayed by Toph for forcing him into a spa thing with Zuko! 

He’s a fire nation prince! 

Yeah he’s not horrible or anything like others in the fire nation but Sokka would much rather spend it with a girl!

Yeah…. Definitely a girl, preferably not at all, but if he had to choose totally a girl. 

“I’ll leave you two to get changed into your robes, please save all romantic moments for after your ceremony.” he smiled, wrinkled and closed the door behind her.

Sokka looked around now to realise they were in a sort of changing room with two robes and two sets of slippers as well as some hair bands.

“What does he mean by arranged?” Sokka asked.

Zuko turned redder than he already was at that question

“Arranged to be married, a lot of higher ups and royals do it, i guess it’s uncommon for two guys to be arranged here.” he said, turning around to take off his shirt.

“woah ! wait! I did not sign up for anything here!” Sokka screamed, turning red, looking at Zuko's naked, totally not attractive back.

“We’re meant to change into robes before going in, it’s disrespectful to wear street clothes into a bath house or spa, it’s like telling Katara her cooking is bad.” Zuko shrugged.

When Sokka didn’t look away he shot a look over his shoulder to get Sokka to turn around and start changing.

“So, you do this often?” he asked, not knowing what else to say. He was so stupid! Why would he say that?

“I guess so, back in the fire nation we had steam rooms and massage bars in the palace it’s the only place my father would never dream of going into. He said it was for women and refused to even look at the doors.” Zuko shrugged.

Sokka was about to make a joke of Zuko being pretty feminine before realizing he was standing here in an emerald green bathrobe and sandals himself.

Turning around to look at Zuko who was in a minty green bathrobe and sandals, which didn't make Sokka blush.

Sokka wondered exactly what the day would entail with all this, and if the fire lord hated this, how bad could it be?

Zuko had pulled his hair up in a ponytail on the back of his head. (not the shaved one but the one we see at the end of the show) It put Zuko’s scar on full display, normally he kept his hair covering it, but looking at it close up there’s no telling how much it had to hurt when it happened. 

The eye behind it was entirely white, blinding him, and the ear on that side mutilated into nothing more than a stub. 

Sadly Sokka realized he was staring shortly after Zuko had. And tried to think of something quick to change the awkwardness.

“Well, if you do this a lot and you get skin like that! Sign me up!” Sokka smiled. 

He meant to compliment him on his nice skin everywhere else, which was arguably already weird enough, but the way it came out sounding was 

“your scar is ugly as is but imagine how much worse it would be without treatment.” which was not what Sokka meant in any way.

“Let’s just get this over with.” Zuko scowled and walked past Sokka.

Sokka felt like someone had just stomped on his boomerang but mournfully followed.

I don’t think that about your skin, it’s so soft and silky and looks like snow. And your hair is so fluffy and smooth and shiny and oh god the lady is looking at me what did i do?

“I’m sorry could you say that again?” Sokka asked 

Zuko rolled his eyes and turned away to hide his smile.

“I said that we will be asking you two to separate from this moment on..” she repeated to Sokka specifically.

“Um yeah, why can't we do it together though? It’s a…” Sokka said, confused.

Zuko turned bright red again and chimed in.

“Forgive him, he’s from the farming villages, they do it a bit differently over there.” Zuko hurried out shooting Sokka a look before they were seperated.

The girl just giggled to herself,

“That’s okay, at least he’s eager.” she said to Zuko as she pulled Sokka away.

“What was that about?” Sokka asked himself as he was escorted into the first room.

His question was answered quickly by the big sauna tub waiting for him to submerge himself into.

Everything was covered but he definitely didn’t want another person next to him in this.

“Ohhhhhhhh.” Sokka moaned as he eased into it with a sigh.

“I’ve earned this.” he breathed out before a moment later a young woman appeared.

“Yeak! Sorry! Private bath! Please-” he said sinking his head down into the water till only his eyes were visible.

she … giggled? Why are you giggling!

“Apologize for the fright, I’m here to wash your hair is all.” she smiled before going behind Sokka to the array of products.

He was extremely skeptical till she began massaging his scalp to get it wet... Oh god! Oh god! Sokka could get used to this! 

Oh they’re touching my hair and pulling in all the right places and that soap smells like oranges and what’s that other stuff i’m smelling.

When Sokka opened his eyes and peered over he saw a tray of fruits and meat had appeared next to him with a cup of what looked like tea.

When they asked if they would like to continue with the massage Sokka was about to say no before realizing how stupid that would be.

“Uh, you know what? Why not. Keep going!” he smiled.

The went on to massage their scalps for another thirty minutes till Sokka was sure his brains had been properly melted into the shape of their fingers before moving onto the rest of the spa, deep 

tissue massages, pedicures, face masks, the works and by the end of the day Sokka felt like a whole new man with a new appreciation for pampering.


	18. cinnamon and vinilla

Zuko had missed every minute of this. The face masks, the massages, the hair washing.

Most of all though, he missed the gossip. 

You heard classified information in a spa that you wouldn’t hear in the war council meetings. 

You learn blackmail material to take down the country. 

Right now though, Zuko was hearing the woman discussing her cheating husband.

“Then why exactly are you staying with that piece of shit Tasha?” Zuko asked as she was filling his nails.

“My husband owns the spa, he IS my job, I can’t do anything about his little affairs no matter how much I want to.” she sighed with a shrug.

“How old are your kids?” Zuko asked.

“My girl is two and my son just turned four.” she said, raising one eyebrow as a question to the sudden topic change.

“And you're their mother, if he thinks he can raise the heir to his business and still keep it running he’s delusional. Also, I doubt any of those side pieces would want to take care of another woman's child. You march right up to your husband. Look him in the eye and lay it all out on the table. Tell him that if he ever cheats again you are leaving him WITH his children and half of his staff as per your divorce arrangements.” 

“That's not very nice.” she pouted.

“Neither is cheating.” Zuko stated bluntly.

“Fair point, maybe. We’ll see what happens with his next little ‘meeting’” she huffed.

“Don’t sell yourself short Tasha, do you know how many people would pay top dollar for a manicure like this?” Zuko asked, holding up his freshly trimmed and cleaned nails with a smile.

“You're too kind.” Tasha smiled at him.

“Oh no, i’m being quite fair when i say you do a great job!” she rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Go get your massage you sassy bitch.” she quipped at him, he couldn’t help but smile back.  
______

Sokka had finished an hour ago and no one had seen Zuko. 

While Katara gave Sokka a fair amount of teasing for coming out smelling like oranges and cucumber, Toph was far more ruthless in pointing out just how much fun she knew he had. 

Secretly because she enjoyed it too and would never admit to it. 

Zuko didn’t resurface till dinner, walking into the camp they set up due to Toph declaring she “was not about to set a foot in that bath house till the day she died.”

When Zuko strolled down by the fire and oozed down in his seat next to Toph and Sokka it was kinda hard to tell whether he was relaxed or not. 

The Gaang had never seen him calm like this; it was kind of a strange sight to behold in front of them. 

His shoulders completely relaxed and his brow completely smooth and free of stress lines.

His eyes were teetering closed moment to moment, seeing him like that made Zuko look so much younger.

More his age.

“How was the food for you?” Sokka asked only slightly more awake than Zuko.

“Amazing and flavorful.” he smiled to himself at having eaten something he didn’t have to prepare, and it didn’t taste like puss. 

While everyone could agree that he was pretty down to earth for a prince, he had the delusion that you could be refusing food while traveling and it’s totally fine to do. 

Man, sokka is going to be daydreaming of that spread for months. 

All the food he could ever eat right in front of him, and not even having enough time to finish one thing before it’s replaced again. 

He was going to have to come back here when he had another chance. 

Hopefully with a girlfriend to impress with it. 

When the gang all went to sleep Zuko ended up in Sokka’s sleeping bag once again. 

The prince was out like a light aftera day at the spa. 

Sokka couldn’t help but breathe in the smell of Cinnamon and Vanilla that currently occupied Zuko’s hair. 

No matter how creepy it was, Sokka tried to picture it was a girl in the sleeping bag with him, a beautiful woman who was with him instead of Zuko.

Yet no matter how hard he tried every image he tried to conjure up was a little underwhelming when he remembered it was Zuko next to him no beautiful woman he could picture quite got up to skuff with the reality presented with him. 

That's not how it should be though, he can't be content with a BOY next to him. 

How could he be a man for feeling this way about another guy?

He didn’t picture Yue next to him though, imagining her would just make him feel even worse then he already did for feeling the way he was feeling about the boy right next to him….

So he pictured Yue watching him, and any butterflies he began feeling for the fire prince were disintegrated in an instant and replaced with guilt.


	19. never get caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some background as to why Azula feels the way she does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heey long time no see twinkle toes! 
> 
> so you get two chapters in one day as the last one was unadulterated tooth rotting fluff. 
> 
> heres some angst for ya! drink water and eat a cookie plz. 
> 
> you must balance your healthy and unhealthy life!
> 
> like reading fanfiction then crying in the shower! you do take a shower. 
> 
> (jk take care of yourselves.) 
> 
> im rambling tho and most people probably don't read beginning notes, I know i don't read them.
> 
> but if yall wanna put a comment or kudos or like, just fist bump the air for me that would be rad! 
> 
> that's all i got tho, love ya!

The fire nation was now in an unprecedented state of civil unrest. 

People from every walk of life, who had previously agreed on the political standings, now found themselves in hostile arguments when the topic arose. 

The nation wants news on their prince, and the firelord has remained silent. 

When it broke out what had happened in the colonies Ozai knew the clock started to run out. 

Between playing a mourning worried father, a vengeful war lord, and fire lord, there was only one thing he was able to play properly.

Princess Azula,   
I am certain that you are aware of the current events in my nation, with that I would like to remind you that playing with your food is extremely unbecoming of a future fire lord. I know you have no intention to dishonor your father and fire lord in any way. You are my loyal loving daughter and I am so proud to have you here to inherit the throne should something bad happen.  
You have one week,  
Fire lord Ozai.

It is very true, he cannot become every role he is meant to be right now, so he will become a father. 

Should his child fail this mission then he is simply going to have to figure out a new heir to the throne.

As the messenger ran out the great hall with the letter to send off to the princess he attached another that had been left in his care by fire lady Ursa. 

she had wanted her to give it to the children when they were much older, though he fears that they aren’t going to live till then. 

Shu had been very faithful to the fire lady in refusing to open it, however he worried exactly how the princess would react to it. 

The palace staff knew only bits and pieces of the royal family's life, however over the years Prince Zuko’s love for his mother had only grown, where Princess Azula’s animosity had strengthened. 

Yet here he was in the dead of night sending off a messenger hawk to the princess who was a way to find her brother, and bring him home… that’s what she was doing, that's all she could be doing. 

Of all the firebenders in the world Princess Azula was the best of the best, she is perfect to bring the prince home.

Safe, and unharmed, just like the firelord said.

_________

Princess Azula sat around her campfire in silence. 

It was only her out here after all. 

She heard of Zuzu’s little stunt out in the colonies. 

Needless to say she was unimpressed. 

He knows where he stands, the longer he plates this the more destruction he causes for his nation, his people, his family…

There would have been a time when Azula would do anything for her brother.

That’s till Father helped her realize just how pathetic and weak he really was. 

Always hiding behind mothers skirt and crawling through the vents when Father went by. 

Azula would never, at least... 

At least not sloppily enough to get caught doing it.

The thought of mother was enough to make Azula sick. 

That woman always acting so kind and naive, always playing the victim. 

Azula was the only one who ever knew what she brought. 

She brought weakness, and she brought the temptation of unconditional love when in reality Azula knew exactly how fake it all was.

Azula never got that unconditional love. 

She learned from a young age that if you want praise you work for it, and then you spit in their face. 

Praise is for the weak minded fools who don’t realize their own power. 

Azula didn’t need anyones approval, she didn’t need anyone's permission to move forward.

Yet why did her heart stop when a messenger hawk flew in. 

looking at the fire lords seal of approval made her stomach churn. 

She had not fulfilled her mission yet, but she would… she had too, there was no choice.

Father made it abundantly clear. Zuko never learned to read between the lines to see the true message. 

Azula learned quickly.

The note attached to the letter though, that wasn’t part of the message.

My dearest children,   
I am sorry that I had to leave you so abruptly all those years ago, I would have taken you with me if I could. I can only hope and pray that you are safe and well. If you ever want to find me you can find me at Hira’a. I can only pray that you will forgive me for what I have done,and put you through, I can only hope to Agni that you will one day realize why I did what I did.  
Even if you hate me till my final days I hope you know my love for you will be eternal and strong,   
My eternal wishes, Mother.

“Lies, lies, lies, LIES!”

The camp fire exploded all around her at the burst of anger. 

Though quickly calming herself so as to not give away location, she began her hunt once again. 

Azula could sleep later, she could sleep when she’s dead. 

She could sleep when Zuko was dead.

All mother ever cared about was her precious little heir inheriting the throne. 

She had Zuko wrapped around her finger from the start to do what she wanted him to do and be what she wanted him to be.

Azula, to her, was nothing more than a replacement child. 

Azula was simply the worst case scenario. Father saw through her lies, he saw how badly mother acted towards her.

Whenever mother would spend time with Azula she would always rush to Zuko when he called. 

She would always take his side in an argument, she would always give him the better presents and him the hugs, and the bedtime stories, and the lullabies…

Zuko was weak, and he still is. 

Azula is a monster, not because she hurt people, not because she laughed at pain, but because she saw right through mothers lies. 

She saw right through all of her stories and tales of friendship and love. 

Only weaklings like Zuko fell for it, Zuko who got caught hiding behind her skirt and got caught hiding in the vents.

Azula never gets caught, not even when she was little and listening through the door as her mother read her brother a bedtime story. 

She never got caught counting minutes to hours waiting for her mother to do the same for her. 

She never got caught crying about it when no one came to tuck her in. 

no one ever even came to catch her. 

But she will Catch Zuko, Zuko always gets caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you wanna leave a comment and kudos! they are very motivating! i love seeing what y'all have to say :) for real though i really like this story and i hope yall do to. hve a good day twinkle toes!


	20. Hunting for answers

When Zuko woke up the next morning everyone else was already up, to his astonishment. 

Zuko was in the empty sleeping bag as they went around making breakfast and practicing bending exercises. 

“Hey, I'm getting ready to go hunting before we head out again.” Sokka said

“Want me to come?” Zuko asked, getting up and stretching out his newly loosened muscles. 

“Do you know how to hunt?” Sokka asked, quaking a brow at the prince who still smelled like cinnamon and vanilla.

“Probably different then you hunt but yeah.” he shrugged. 

Zuko had done a lot of things as the blue spirit that most would deem disgraceful for the prince to do, though to many in fire nation the blue spirit was a symbol of the spirit world favoring the fire nation as a whole. 

As for hunting he could just as easily shoot a flaming dart as you could swing a sword to get your next meal.

Zuko didn’t particularly like hunting, he didn’t like choosing one life over another. 

Yet in the same breath he found it important to know where his food had come from so as not to take it for granted.

“Sure man, whatever.” Sokka shrugged, turning away from Zuko and nodding towards the trail for him to follow. 

Zuko did so without any more preparation aside from tying back his hair into the top knot on his head. 

The two walked in complete silence down the trail and that alone was strange enough seeing as Sokka didn’t know the meaning of the word silence until now. 

After Zuko had spent days praying to Agni that Sokka would shut his mouth for ten minutes he finally came to the conclusion that he liked the sound of the other boy speaking even if he said   
some really idiotic things.

Any time he tried to make eye contact with Sokka it always failed, that or the other boy found the path ahead of him incredibly interesting even though there were no tracks to be found. 

It was kinda upsetting, because Zuko liked Sokka, he wasn’t really sure how. 

One minute he wanted to punch him, then to hunt with him, then to hug him, Then to… really closely hug him… That is to say, that whenever Sokka made Zuko angry he somehow made it better with those big blue eyes and a pouty face. 

Half the time Zuko was worried he was having a heart attack.

Now to have Sokka in front of him and not talking, it felt wrong, and stressful and Zuko couldn’t work out what he did wrong.

He’s never seen Sokka angry and he could only guess that he was angry, so the question is why.

Is it because Zuko came with him, to hunt? 

Or is it more likely that Zuko’s sister keeps trying to kill them? 

Regardless of the stressors at hand Zuko felt his muscles tensing at the unknown ahead of him and turned to look away from sokka finally to find a set of tracks.

Of course the moment when he stops staring and gives up is when Sokka starts talking again.

“So, any girlfriend back at home?” he asked somewhat awkwardly trying to make conversation.

“Kind of, there’s this girl, Mai. She and I were arranged to get married, or I guess, are. She has a girlfriend though, and I don't feel that way about… anyways she’s a really good friend, and the entire fire nation sees us as a power couple it would be kinda hard for me to date anyone else.” Zuko shrugged. 

Being gay was okay in the fire nation to a certain extent, he wasn’t sure about water tribes though.

“Wait- your girlfriend is with another girl?” Sokka asked

“Yeah, her name is Ty-Lee, why something wrong with that?” Zuko asked. There was a certain edge to his voice that dared Sokka to say yes.

“No! I just, I’ve never heard that before, I mean I hear stories, but mostly just gossip back in the tribe.” 

The boys were silent for a while after that.

“do they still date boys?” Sokka asked almost insecurly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, growing up, I was the oldest boy in my tribe, I was the only man around. Every girl kept saying they wanted to date a big strong soldier, but not me. I never got a clear answer either. So I   
guess, it would make more sense if they just said that to keep face and were only actually dating other girls. Then again, leaving my tribe to be here, i find a lot of things that i never questioned being in question. Um… it would make a lot more sense if they were, you know..” Sokka said, averting his gaze all together, ashamed by hiding his real question in the girls dating girls and not his own reasons.

It was quiet for a little longer with Zuko processing what Sokka was asking, as well fumbling to find what the boundaries were.

“It’s not always as simple as only liking boys or only liking girls, some people like both, and some people don’t care at all. Sometimes they don’t want to date anyone. It’s not just girls either guys date guys too. Gay people actually get married and adopt children usually, um- it’s not really a topic we take issue with i guess.” he shrugged. 

Sokka met his eyes and smiled.

“Well, that’s good, the fire nation is a jerk about a lot of things but when it comes to who you sleep with-” Sokka paused thinking to last night again.

“Hey look tracks!” he shouted in relief at the hog-chicken trail in front of them.

The two dropped the conversation at that point and followed the tracks till they came across the prey which Sokka and Zuko made impressively good work over the three hog-chickens. 

Sokka found yet another useful means for a firebender who could prepare and make jerky in less than four hours and it tasted amazingly smoky and spicy without a touch of salt. 

Sokka was growing more and more attached to their resident fire bender every day and it almost scared him the way he was feeling. 

That night he kept his thoughts firmly planted on Yue looking down at him, disappointed on him being able to just move on from her, to love someone else. 

Sokka had truly loved Yue. He knows that a part of him always will. 

He knows she wouldn’t want him single forever, he knows Zuko likely would be weirded out to share a sleeping bag if he knew. 

He just needed to push his thoughts onto something else, they had other things to worry about right now and Sokka wanting to kiss a guy could wait….

Not that… not that he wanted to kiss Zuko.


	21. Sokka stop compensating!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i've been writing a new avatar fic. have about 6ish chapters written. should i post the first three now? or wait till i have the first ten?

It had been an entire day and a half and Katara was ready to throw her brother off of Appa.

he kept talking about how much of a ladies man he was and how much attention he got as a ‘big tough water tribe warrior.’ even when Katara, Toph AND Aang testified against it.

Katara knew what Sokka was doing. He tried to keep a ladies only aura around him as if that did anything to fool anyone.

  
It seemed to be fooling Zuko though. He had been sitting in the saddle even quieter than usual, not looking at anyone.

Katara really didn’t know what Sokka’s own hang ups were regarding his emotions. Does he have any idea how many women back in the south pole ‘found comfort in one another’ some would go so far as to make betrothal bracelets for each other as they were already wearing necklaces.

  
Though all ethics on the matter aside.

Katara wanted nothing more than to hit her brother upside the head and tell him to stop being an idiot, yet from experience she knew it would only make him denser.

  
She resided herself to her mending and did her best not to listen to her brothers stupid claims.

  
When the team landed down for the evening Katara drug Zuko out by the river to help her gather water for the evening meal, maybe even get him to cook. If she heard one more ungrateful comment from her brother she was going to snap.

“Sorry about him, he does this thing where as soon as he says something wrong he starts digging himself further and further till he's at the center of the earth.” she said rolling his eyes.

“I don’t really see what his point was.” Zuko shrugged, scratching the back of his head and shifting awkwardly. From what Katara has noticed is that the prince doesn't seem too fond of eye contact. Maybe because one eye was not in the best condition, he didn't like people being able to look right at it.

  
“He wants to show off is all. I can understand him there. For a long time we were the only kids our age around. Then Aang and Toph joined in, now you. You're the only other boy his age he’s been around for a long time. I think he doesn’t know how to approach that.” she shrugged.

While she was incredibly done with Sokka hiding his emotions in a snow pile, she wasn’t about to dump her speculation as fact to the guy her brother could (definitely) have a crush on.

“Is it normal in the water tribe to brag about your own romantic adventures?” Zuko asked.

Katara blushed red and felt the urge to slap Zuko even though his question was innocent enough.

“Of course not! He just never really talked to other boys who weren’t eight year olds he’s-”

“Look out!” Zuko shouted suddenly and tackled her to the ground seconds before an explosion hit.

“Miss me?!” Azula shouted from the tree tops at Zuko. she looked…

Not good. Her normal put together nature had been replaced by bags under her eyes, her hair half haphazardly done, and what looked to be mud smeared on her cheek.  
Zuko wanted to shout back a reply but could’t before Azula struck again.

  
Toph Aang and Sokka were already running in the commotion, trying to find a plan to get on Appa and run.

  
“Hey! Over here psycho!” Toph yelled, hurling a rock in Azula's direction. It did little to throw her off, but it was enough for Zuko to get closer and gain footing to plan a defence.

  
“Hey sparkle princess! What you gonna do with that fire? Light a candle? It's so weak you couldn’t even see me!” Sokka yelled at her.

The second he mentioned weakness, all attention focused on Sokka, he may have found out a second too late that that was the wrong move.

However just as she prepared to throw a mass of blue flames his way she was struck right in the middle of the shoulder blades as fell forward onto the forest floor.

“What! What did you do!!” she screamed at the stop of her lungs, trying to get her fire to start.

She began panicking, what would they do to her? Where was her bending? What had Zuko done?

  
“Remember when you locked Ty-lee and I in that shed for two hours, she taught me.” Zuko said, kneeling down in front of her.

She couldn’t stand right, she couldn’t bend, she was defenseless she was helpless, she… she was weak… she failed… oh Agni she failed her mission…”

she hadn't even realized the tears beginning to fall till Zuko pulled her into a hug.

“I-i don’t need your-your filthy pity you- you weak mi-ind-ed sn-snake-r-r-rat.” she sobbed her words contradicting the fact that she was hugging Zuko back.

“I know you don’t.” he soothed, giving the others a look telling them to leave.

“But I'm going to give it to you anyway, because that’s what brothers do,” he said.

Azula hated what she did next. She hated it with every fiber of her being and she will hate it for the rest of her life.

Azula pushed Zuko into the river and clumsily ran as fast as she could out of the clearing and didn’t look back even as she heard Zuko calling after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plz leave a comment if you enjoyed this! and have a lovely day.


	22. brother sister field trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we all saw that were getting new avatar content in the future right? i'm hoping for some kyoshi content!

Azula didn’t know where she was going really, she didn’t know how long she was walking, she didn’t know how crazy she must look. 

Though if she was honest she didn’t care. 

She couldn’t go back home without Zuko dead. 

But even if she did it would have been too long now, everything was ruined and it was all her fault. Father would… Father would understand he- he loved… 

Oh what did it matter anyways, the second Zuko hugged her it did something, he’s infected her with his weakness. 

He’s done something so horrible to her that now… now she just couldn’t do it. Why couldn’t she kill him? 

Why couldn’t she? 

Why was she so weak?

At that Azula finally stopped walking and allowed herself to collapse to the ground to cry.

This wasn’t a cry you normally see people doing, even those alone, injured in the forest. 

She was sobbing and laughing and screaming and whimpering all at once. 

Why couldn’t she just write him off like mother, he pulled all the same tactics, all the same lies, as mother, and yet he was always so different from her.

Why did he have to be different from mother? 

Why did he have to be so much like her yet so different from her? Why couldn’t they just be a happy- 

Stop.

Surely she must be going crazy to have such a thought. 

Someone coming down the path, she has no fire to defend herself!

She isn’t thinking straight! She’s losing her mind she’s-

“Azula?” her head shot up in an instant ready to chew out Zuko for finding her. But it wasn’t Zuko.

The man in front of her was far from her brother… 

“Lu-Ten?” she asked, trying to sound tough, trying to sound poised, trying to sound like everything her voice refused to be in between her sobs and screams.

“Hey, don’t cry Lala.” he said, coming up and wrapping her in his arms that were suddenly much bigger than her, or- or was she getting smaller.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him, her voice suddenly sounding higher, sounding younger, sounding afraid.

Damn she hated it.

“I should ask you that.” Lu-Ten said. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked him looking down at her hands that insisted on being small and childish.

“You're in the spirit world Azula.” he said with a soft smile.

“Don’t you know that was nothing but Uncle's nonsense stories?” she asked him trying to escape from the hug while somehow pulling herself closer to him.

It was all to reminiciant of how Zuko hugged her, Lu-Ten was all too reminiscent of Zuko. 

“Azula, how did you get here?” he asked her, pulling away to look at the now childsized princess in front of him. 

“I was… I was hunting Zuko… I lost… i’m a failure.” she said, looking down in shame.

“You're not a failure Azula, you're just a kid.” he smiled.

“Maybe in this world, back home i’m-”

“Fourteen.” he interrupted her with a quirked eyebrow.

“Ugh, what does it matter! I have more important things to worry about then hallucinations!” she snapped at him.

“So you don’t want my help then?” he asked standing up.

“Huh?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

“I can get you to where you need to go.”

“Father says-”

“You're not asking for help, I'm offering it, their different things.” he smiled.

“I’m tired.” she said, trying to change her topic on him.

“Come here.” he said, before hoisting her onto his back and began walking in the direction they came.

“Where are we going?” she asked him.

“Where you came from.” he told her.

“And where did I come from?” she shot back.

“Where did you end up?” 

“Where we were.”

“And where are we now?”

Azula was silent to that. 

Truth be told his random fire of questions kind of made sense.

“We- we’re going to Zuko?” she asked him.

“Do you want to go to Zuko?” 

Azula's heart sank.

“He wouldn't want to see me.” she huffed.

“Why not?”

“I’ve done a lot to hurt him, he always tries to look out for me… and i always make it worse for him…”

“I don’t think he would ever not want you around.” Lu Ten said before the two fell into a rhythmic silence with only the sound of Lu Ten walking to fill their ears.

The more she looked around though, the more she could see that things were different here. The trees were darker in some parts and brighter in others. 

You couldn’t see as far ahead of you but you knew exactly what was there.

If Azula were alone she would lie and say she wasn’t scared, but with Lu Ten carrying her through the woods just like he did when she was small, it brought her a strange sense of comfort that she hadn’t felt since the last time Lu Ten had carried her around like this. 

She knew that they were walking to something big, something scary, she knew he was leading her to something unpleasant and it filled her with a rush of anger and resentment for her cousin, she didn’t like being carried anymore and she wanted to be put down.

A moment later he did so, he set her on the ground to where he towered over her little eight year old self. 

She wanted to reach out and take his hand, to hold it there as protection. 

Azula was a princess, she reminded herself. 

She was a teenager who didn’t need to hold onto her dead halfwit cousins hand for reassurance. 

She struck fear into soldiers just by looking at them. 

She brought enemies to their knees with a single breath. 

She made her own mother afraid for her life, she-

“Lu Ten?” Azula looked around when she realized her cousin was gone.

“Lu Ten!” she said, louder this time looking around for where he could have possibly gone.

“Azula!”

_____________  
“Azula wait!” Zuko called after her the second his head resurfaced from the river. 

He scrambled out immediately, paying no mind to his friends shouting from the shore line as he chased her into the woods where she came, she couldn’t have gotten that far.

“Azula! Wait! Please listen to me I-'' he stopped suddenly, looking around. 

Something was off here. He didn’t know how it was off but- but everything looked different. Everything was… brighter, clearer, he saw more of, well, everything. 

Bringing a hand up to his face he touched underneath his left eye to feel the scar he had come so accustomed to. 

The scar wasn’t there. When he covered his right eye he could still see out his left. 

He should be happy by this, by whatever miracle was happening, yet truth be told, he was petrified. 

He was scared and he was worried, and he didn’t know what was happening, now suddenly everything looked a lot darker. 

The trees were more ominous and what little path lay in front of him suddenly was written with danger and destruction and the trees only got bigger cutting out more and more light and he only felt more and more out of control yet he kept walking forward because what if Azula was in trouble and-

“Hello Zuko.” he jumped ten feet in the air as he whipped around to see a man in long red robes with long white hair dressed fire nation traditional robes. he looked likw an old aristocrat yet something told him that this man was more then just that.

“Wh-who are you?” he asked. His voice sounded higher, and betrayed any hope he had to at least sounding brave as even the man seemed to tower over him.

“My name is Roku, and by the sound of it, you are looking for someone.” he smiled, kneeling down to Zuko’s height. 

Something about the man was familiar, playfully so. He knew him somehow. 

“I was looking for my sister, she ran off.” he said, looking down due to habit, and clenching his shirt in his fists. 

He saw as he did so just how small his hands were, how un calloused they were, his clothes were different too, it was his old school uniform. 

“Well, what do you say we walk together.” Rokku offered. 

Zuko looked around him. He knew you shouldn’t just accept some random guy offering to help you, but… but something about this man told Zuko he was safe, something inside him said that he knew Rokku more than Rokku was saying. 

Besides, when Rokku showed up, the trees weren’t ominous anymore, the path wasn’t dangerous, and in fact much clearer. 

So Zuko nodded and said   
“Okay, to Azula.” and began walking again. 

Every once in a while he would hear a twig snap though, or a leaf crunch and the calm happy woods he had seen morphed back into the terrifying horrors he saw before. 

he truly felt as young as he must look.

almost without thinking he swung his hand up to take Rikku's who pulled him close and then all the bad things went away.

“You seem to know a lot about this place.” Zuko said finally.

“I have been here for quite a long time now.” Rokku offered.

“Where are we exactly?” he asked looking up at the old man.

“We’re in the spirit world, you have somehow managed to cross over as you were looking for your sister.” Rokku said with a small smile.

“Will i still be able to find her?” Zuko asked, ruffling his brow.

“I’m sure your sister is a lot closer than you think sometimes.” Rokku reassured him.

They were silent for a while after that till Zuko spoke up again.

“What if she doesn’t want me to find her?” he asked looking at Rokku who was still holding his small ten year old hand in his old wrinkled one.

“Whether she admits it or not your sister needs you just as much as you need her Zuko, sometimes even more.” he smiled 

“But-” Zuko started, having no direction for that question.

“Lu Ten?” he heard a small voice ask in the distance all of the sudden 

“Azula?” he said hopefully letting go of Rokku’s hand and stepping forward to look around more. 

The forest suddenly a lot brighter and inviting than it ever had seemed as his eyes darted around. 

Though it all seemed to narrow in his vision he knew exactly what was in front of him as he did so. 

The path became much clearer than it had been before as he listened again for his sister's voice.

Only a moment later did he realize.

“Rokku?” he asked in his same raspy voice he always had.

“Lu Ten!” Azlua shouted, louder this time.

“Azula!” Zuko shouted back, running in the direction of her voice.

“Zuko!” she shouted back, sounding closer till the two came in view of one another. 

Azula didn’t have those bags under her eyes that she had, and the mud smear was gone from her cheek. 

Her hair was down instead of being pulled up, other than that his sister was completely unharmed as he ran up to her.

Against his better judgment, perhaps he wrapped her into a big hug that for whatever reason, she gladly returned to him.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” he told her, pulling away to look at her. 

She pulled back from him.

“yeah well, you know. I had thought you let someone else kill you before i could get to it.” she shrugged off shooting him a wicked smirk. 

Yet there was something else in her eyes when she said that.

They were quiet for a minute after that.

“So… we’re stuck in the spirit world.” Azula huffed reluctantly.

“I see that. The question is how do we get out?”

“Of course it is Dum-Dum.” she dead panned at him

They were silent for another beat.

“Well do you have any ideas or not?” Azula asked him, looking away in disgust as she did so.

“I don’t, you?” 

Azula didn’t feel any less disgusted with that reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you liked it!


End file.
